


Stranded

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Erotica, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Friendship, Hogwarts Era, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: From Diagon Alley to Hogwarts, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-03-26
Updated: 2007-07-24
Packaged: 2018-10-27 14:00:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 53,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10810464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: As Harry's spell meets Voldemort's a blinding light flashes as a wave of power knocks everyone off their feet. When Ron regains his feet, Voldemort's dead corpse lies alone in a blakened circle and Harry and Ginny are gone.





	1. Chapter One: The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

**Author:** Ginfan  
**Title:** Stranded: The Beginning  
**Category:** **Marauders Map**  
**Genres:** Angst,Erotica,Fluff,Romance,Tragedy  
**Rating:** MT - Mature Themes  
**Warnings:** Angst,Character Death,Strong Sexual Content  
**Characters:** Granger,Hermione,Lovegood,Luna,Potter,Harry,Weasley,George,Weasley,Ginny,Weasley,Ron  
**Summary:** As Harry's spell meets Voldemorts a blinding light flashes as a wave of power knocks everyone off their feet. When Ron regains his feet, Voldermorts dead corpse lies alone in a blakened circle and Harry and Ginny are gone.  
 

Chapter One: The Beginning 

April 15, 1998

 Ron heard Harry’s cry of anguish and turned just in time to see Ginny fall at Harry’s feet. Before he had a chance to move, Harry was on his knees reaching out to cradle Ginny in his arms.  

When Harry looked up a chill passed through Ron. He’d never been afraid of his best friend, but seeing the way Harry’s dark green eyes blazed and the utterly calm look on his face made Ron glad that Harry’s attention wasn’t focused on him. If looks alone could kill then Voldemort was as good as dead already. 

Power radiated from Harry as he slowly raised his wand, and pointing it at Voldemort, cast a spell that Ron had never heard before. At the same time Voldemort cast his own spell at Harry and Ginny. In a flash of blinding white light, Ron, and everyone within a twenty-foot radius, was thrown to the ground as a blast wave of released power hit.  

His ears ringing, Ron struggled to get to his feet, blinking furiously as he tried to clear his vision. Once he was able to see again he looked to where Harry and Ginny had taken their stand against Voldemort.  

Lying in the center of a ring of scorched earth lay Lord Voldemort’s charred body. As Ron looked frantically around he was unable to find any trace of Harry or Ginny.

“Ron.” 

He didn’t move as Hermione came up to stand beside him. 

“Ron? Where are they, Ron?”  

When he didn’t answer her, Hermione reached out and grabbed his arm, jerking him around to face her. 

“Ron, what happened to Harry and Ginny? Where are they?” she pleaded, tears leaving streaks in the dirt and blood that covered her face. 

Finally acknowledging her, Ron looked down at her, “They’re gone,” he said, his voice flat with disbelief, “they’re just gone.” 

At his words, Hermione collapsed in his arms, her body shaking as she sobbed against his chest. She could feel his body constricting as he cried with her. 

The two of them stood, locked together in pain, while around them lay the dead and wounded from the final battle against the Dark Lord. 

********** 

Thousands of miles away, on an island, a dark headed boy with green eyes and glasses opened his eyes.  Nestled in his arms lay a young, redheaded girl. 

As the boy lay there cradling the girl against him, he tried to remember where he was, and more importantly who he was, and who she was. How long they lay there he didn’t know, but try as he might he couldn’t remember where or who they were.  

Looking at the girl in his arms, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. Why he didn’t know, but it seemed right, as if he’d kissed her before. When his lips left hers, she moaned and her eyelids slowly opened, revealing soft brown eyes.  

Seeing him leaning over her, she screamed, and lashing out, broke away from him. Scrabbling away from him she grabbed a piece of driftwood, and gripping it in both hands turned to face him. 

“Who are you?” she demanded, “and where am I?” 

Sitting up, the boy looked at her, and shrugging his shoulders said, “I don’t know.” 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” 

“Just what I said, I don’t know,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders again. 

Giving him a confused look, the girl lowered the piece of driftwood she’d been holding. 

“You don’t know who you are or you don’t know where we are?” she asked. 

“Both” 

“How can you not know who you are or where we are?” she asked, raising the driftwood, “Stop lying and tell me.” 

“I’m not lying, and you can drop the club. If I was going to hurt you I could have done it while you were asleep.” 

Looking closely at the boy sitting calmly before her, she lowered the wood she’d been holding up like a club. As she continued to look at him, she tossed it away, realising for some reason, that he would never hurt her. 

“You really don’t know who you are?” she asked. 

“No, I don’t. But since I don’t know who I am, can you tell me who you are?” 

“My name is…” she stopped. A look of disbelief washed over her as she slumped down on the sand. “I can’t remember my name,” she whispered. 

Crawling over to her, the boy took hold of her hand. “Well that makes two of us then,” he said as he looked into her warm brown eyes. 

********** 

After the girl had decided not to bash his brains out with her club, they’d sat down to talk about their situation. From the black robes they wore to the matching ties, jumpers, and white shirts they figured that they must have came from the same place.  

Examining the emblem on her robe the girl looked up at the boy, “This must be some sort of a joke, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Gryffindor. Does yours say the same?” she asked. 

Looking at the emblem on his robe the boy replied, “Yeah, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Gryffindor.” Reaching down he picked up two long slender pieces of wood, “That might explain these,” the boy said as he passed them to the girl. 

The girl took them from the boy and after examining them for a minute she looked up, “What, you think these are magic wands or something?” 

“Well, they could be, if we went to a school for magic like these robes say.” 

“But what if we were in a play or something? Maybe these are costumes.” 

“Then how did we get here?” 

“We could have been shipwrecked or something.” 

Looking around them the boy said, “We’re above the high tide mark and there are no footprints around us. How do you explain that?” 

“I don’t know, but magic? I don’t know if I can accept that either.” 

“Hand me one of those,” the boy said pointing to the ‘wands’ the girl was holding. “Let’s see if they do anything.” 

The girl started to hand him one, but then pausing, she handed him the other instead.  

Noticing, the boy asked, “How come you gave me this one and not that one?” 

“I don’t know. This one just seems to feel right somehow,” she said as she gripped the wand in her hand.  "So, now what?” 

Pointing his wand at the piece of driftwood the girl had used as a club the boy said, “Move.” 

Nothing happened. 

“Float.” 

Still nothing. 

“Fly.” 

Nothing. 

Screwing his face up in concentration he jabbed the wand at the wood and shouted, “RISE”. 

Nothing. 

The girl, unable to contain herself any longer, collapsed into a fit of giggles at his antics. 

Turning to face her, the boy said, “Think it’s funny do you? I’d like to see you do better.” 

“I’m sorry,” she said still giggling. “But you looked so serious. Me wizard. Me do magic,” her eyes squinted, brows drawn together; she waved her wand at the wood in an exaggeration of his attempts and said, “Incinerate.”  

At her word a small red light shot from her moving wand and hit the wood causing the spot where it hit to burst into flame. 

Letting out a shriek, the girl dropped the wand, and turned to face the boy, her face struck with surprise.

“Ready to accept that magic is real now?” he asked. 

********** 

April 29, 1998 

Arthur could feel tears running down his face as he stood next to his wife. Today he was burying half of his children, if you counted Harry, which he did. Just two weeks ago his family had been whole and full of life. Then Voldemort attacked Hogwarts. Now his family was in shambles.  

George, who should still be in St. Mungo’s, had insisted on being present. In the end his bed had been turned into a Portkey that would allow him one hour before returning him to his hospital room. 

Molly broke down, her body shaking. Unable to watch as the caskets were lowered into the ground, she buried her face in her husband’s chest. 

When it was finally over, Arthur, with Molly wrapped in his arms, lead the way down the hill back to the Burrow. Leaving behind four headstones, each engraved with the name of one of their children. 

Charles Prewitt Weasley – December 12, 1972 – April 15, 1998 

Fredrick Gideon Weasley – April 1, 1978 – April 15, 1998 

Ginevra Molly Weasley – August 11, 1981 - April 15, 1998 

Harry James Potter – July 31, 1980 - April 15, 1998 

********** 

Their first few days on the island had been hard. With nothing but the clothes on their backs and the two wands, they had set out to explore their new home. The robes were quickly discarded as the sun beat down on them, the ties and jumpers quickly following. Hunger and thirst grew stronger as the day wore on. The boy tried opening a coconut, but the thick hull proved too much. It was the girl who later found the papaya tree, its fruit satisfying their hunger and thirst.   

Their first night they spent sleeping on the sand by a fire the girl started with her wand. Late the next day they found a small stream emptying into the ocean. After quenching their thirst, they followed it into the thick vegetation until they came upon a small clearing with a pool of clear water formed by the stream. Letting out a yell the boy jumped in and surfacing, shouted for the girl to join him. Soon they were both laughing and splashing each other, enjoying the cool water of the pool. Later as they lay in the grass beside the pool they decided to make their home here.  

Over the next few days, the boy and girl worked hard at building a hut beside the stream. Digging four deep corner holes and two small deep holes for the doorway, the boy set four sturdy pieces of drift wood in corner holes and two slimmer pieces in the smaller holes. Using yarn from his unraveled jumper, they tied stripped tree branches and palm fronds across the heavier poles to form the walls. Across the top of the walls they tied more stripped branches and palm fronds. When they’d finished, the hut, though small and crudely made, provided them shelter. 

They smiled at each other as they looked at their new home. Little did they know how long it was to be home for them.

********** 

June 21, 1998 

Ron was dreading this day. More than anything he wished he could just take off and go someplace where nobody knew him. Today was the ceremony honoring those who had fought and died in the final battle two months ago. Ron, as a war hero and Harry’s closest friend, was expected to talk about Harry and the rest of those lost. He couldn’t do it. He was still unable to come to terms with the loss of his two brothers, Charlie and Fred.  Then there was Ginny, lost along with Harry. How could he get up in front of a stadium full of people, who didn’t even know his family and the friends that had died fighting for them, and tell them of their courage, their laughter, the pranks they pulled, or their loves? How could he?  

“It’s time to go,” Hermione said taking his hand. 

“I can’t do it. I just can’t.” Ron thought he couldn’t cry anymore, but at the thought of having to formally say goodbye he broke down.  

His actions set off a chain reaction that soon had tears falling from the rest of his family that were sitting around him. 

********** 

“Any luck?” the girl called as she walked out onto the beach. 

Looking up the boy’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Her deep red hair blazed in the afternoon sun, highlighting the darkening tan of her face. The white sleeveless button shirt she was wearing had the ends tied, exposing her small waist and tanned stomach. The rest of her outfit consisted of a pair of cutoff jeans, which showed off her tanned legs quite well. She was beautiful.  

Taking a deep breath, the boy gave her a crooked smile, “Two so far,” he said as he waded out of the water. In one hand he held a makeshift spear, in the other, two fish strung on one of the shoelaces from his trainers.  

Watching him as he came out of the water, wearing only a pair of cutoff jeans, the girl felt her heart start to beat faster. His lean, richly tanned body glistened as water beads ran down it and his dark hair and tanned face made his deep bright green eyes shine. He was gorgeous. 

“Great, fish and papaya for lunch then,” she managed to get out. 

********* 

December, 25, 1998 

Molly wiped a tear from her cheek as she straightened up from placing the flowers on Ginny’s ‘grave’.  It was hard for her to accept the loss of her only daughter, especially since there had been no closure. She’d been able to say goodbye to Charlie and Fred before their bodies were buried, but not Ginny. All she had to mark her passing was the headstone resting beside the one with Harry’s name on it. As she looked at the four headstones, she couldn’t believe it had been over six months now since they were lost. Saying goodbye, she turned and walked out the gate. Stopping long enough to close it, she continued, walking through the snow, back to the Burrow. 

********** 

Water dripping on her forehead woke the girl. Reaching up she wiped the water from her face. _I thought we’d fixed that_ she thought. Listening to the rain as it fell on the thatched roof of their crudely made little hut, she smiled in contentment. Life on the island might be slow but she couldn’t think of anyplace she’d rather be. 

Not so long ago Sam, the name the boy had picked for himself, had started holding her hand whenever they walked along the beach. After awhile he’d started putting his arm around her instead, holding her close to him as they walked. He’d recently taken to calling her love instead of Lily, the name she’d picked for herself after finding a white and yellow flower that reminded her of one. Then last night, before they’d gone in to sleep, he’d kissed her.  

She smiled as she remembered how ‘right’ it felt when he’d taken her in his arms and held her before bringing his lips down to hers. The kiss had been soft, his tongue lightly tracing her lips before he broke away. She could still feel the fluttering in her stomach as she remembered.  

Turning on her side, she looked to where he lay. As she watched him sleep, it hit her like a bolt of lighting, she loved him. 

 


	2. Chapter Two: Year One

Chapter Two: Year One

 August 11, 1999

 As Molly's gaze swept the living room of the Burrow, a picture on the mantel caught her attention. Walking over, she saw it was a picture of Ginny and Hermione taken by the pond. Both girls waved and smiled at her, each dressed in their swimsuits.  

Molly started to smile before a look of anguish crossed her face. Clutching her heart, she fell into one of the chairs by the fireplace. Today was Ginny's birthday. She'd forgotten Ginny's birthday. How could she forget her only daughter's birthday? She would have been eighteen today. Molly's body collapsed as she wept. 

********** 

September 12, 1999 

Hermione sighed, telling herself that she wasn't going to cry. It would just ruin her makeup and besides this was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Today she would become Mrs. Hermione Jane Granger-Weasley.  

As she walked down the aisle with her father, she caught Ron's eye, and smiled. Seeing George standing beside him, she struggled once again to keep from crying. She'd always pictured Harry as Ron's best man at their wedding with Ginny as her maid of honor. She found it hard to believe they'd been gone for almost a year and a half.  

********** 

Sam looked up from husking coconuts when he heard her call him. He laughed when he saw her waddling toward him, her round stomach leading the way. Having outgrown her own clothes, she was wearing his old shirt and a wrap around skirt made from his old robe. 'If she gets any bigger she'll have to go naked,' he thought, because his shirt was already strained to the limits. He smiled as he remembered the first time they'd made love. By his thinking it was three months after he'd first kissed her.   

They'd been in the pool, splashing and trying to dunk each other when she'd suddenly stopped. Looking him in the eye she'd smiled and said, "I love you, Sam. I truly do." She'd then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. 

Her kiss had literally taken his breath away. He didn't remember them leaving the water, but soon they were lying in the grass feverishly removing each other's clothes. It was strange he remembered, after the initial rush to get their clothes off, they'd stopped. Taking their time they'd explored each other's bodies, trailing kisses as they went. She'd been so beautiful, lying beside him, her hair a tangled mass that dripped water on him when she leaned over to kiss him.  

He remembered touching her breasts for the first time. How her nipples hardened when he ran his thumb over them, and the way she'd tasted when he'd ran his tongue over them, sucking and nibbling them gently. He'd moaned when she'd grasped him in her small hand, squeezing him softly and he'd smiled when she moaned in return as he rubbed his hand against her center. 

Her cry of pain when he'd entered her had caused him to stop, but her quiet reassurance and kisses found them continuing. The joy and happiness he'd felt when she'd climaxed mirrored what he saw in her eyes after he'd finished too. They'd stayed in each other's arms the rest of the afternoon, falling asleep later under the stars. 

"That's right. Make fun of the pregnant lady," he heard as her voice brought him back to the present.  

 


	3. Chapter Three: Year Two

Chapter Three: Year Two 

January, 11, 2000 

"Ron."   

He looked up from the quick snack he was making and smiled as his wife of four months walked into the small apartment. "Hi love. Where've you been?" 

Hermione hadn't been feeling well for the past few days. She'd been throwing up most mornings and was tired, all the time it seemed. She hadn't told Ron because she didn't want to upset him until she was sure. After her trip to St. Mungo's, she knew she was pregnant. 

Not sure how to tell him, she said, "Ron, how about Harry if it's a boy and Ginny for a girl?" She watched as Ron stiffened, the jar of jam he was holding falling to floor, smashing as it hit. Turning, his eyes wide with shock he whispered, "You're pregnant?" Seeing her hesitant nod his face split with a wide grin. In two strides he was upon her, grabbing her and swinging her around while shouting loudly, "WE'RE PREGNANT!" 

********** 

Her cries of pain echoed through the small clearing. Inside their small hut Sam wiped Lily's brow with a damp cloth as he tried to comfort her. The baby was coming and he felt helpless. Not knowing what to do, he held her hand and whispered soft words of encouragement to her. Seeing the pain in her eyes was tearing him apart. He cringed as another cry of pain escaped her, her small hand crushing his.  

Hours later a small cry arose from the hut. Inside Lily smiled as their small daughter found her breast and started to suckle. Smiling brightly through the tears of happiness running down her face she looked at Sam. "She's beautiful isn't she?" 

His own face covered in tears, he replied, "Just like her mother." Leaning over he kissed her gently and whispered, "Thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving us our daughter." 

**********

April 1, 2000 

In his small apartment, George sat at the table, a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey in front of him. _Here's to you Fred,_ George thought, raising the glass to his lips, _Happy birthday, Brother._ The firewhiskey burned as it went down but George was immune to its effects by now. He'd been drinking for the better part of an hour, but the pain was still there. Fred had been gone for almost two years now and George still felt as if he'd been ripped in half. With a sigh he placed the empty glass on the table before stumbling off to bed. He only hoped that Ron and Hermione would get the shop opened on time tomorrow. He knew that he wasn't going to. Life at _Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes_ must go on. 

********** 

Lily smiled as she watched Sam nap. He was lying on his back, his head propped with one of the woven mats she'd made that he'd rolled up, their small daughter asleep on his chest.  

Moving quietly, she stood up and walked over to the pool. Removing her worn sun bleached knickers she marveled at how white her skin was under them compared to rest of her body. Every since Skye had been born she'd been going topless as her breasts were too swollen with milk to fit her bra and they were using what was left of their shirts to wrap Skye in.  

Clothing was becoming a problem. She still couldn't fit into her cutoffs and even if she could, she was concerned about wearing them everyday. They hadn't been new to start with and with continued usage she worried about them wearing out. Sam had also stopped wearing his too, his only clothing his boxers now. As she slid into the cool water she continued to think of their problem.  

She still had her jumper and her robe, Sam's robe she'd ripped up to make a wraparound skirt when she'd been pregnant. As for his jumper, he'd unraveled it, using the yarn in the building of their small hut and for various other projects.  

If she only had a needle and a pair of scissors, she thought. Speaking of scissors, it was time to cut Sam's hair again, and hers too, she noticed as she removed the cloth tie from her ponytail, letting her long, waist-length hair fall as she shook her head. The sharp shell she used last time had left Sam's hair even more unruly looking than usual. _Oh well_ , she thought as she looked at her family's sleeping forms, _who cares if we look like untamed savages?  There's no one here but us._ She smiled again as she slipped under the water. 

********** 

July 8, 2000 

"Ron, Sit down," his mother said, grabbing his arm and pulling him onto the couch beside her. "Wearing a trench in the floor isn't going to help." 

_Twins,_ he thought, _who'd have thought we'd have twins?_ Ron and his family were in one of the waiting rooms at St. Mungo's along with Hermione's father, Robert. Because of Hermione's small size and the size of the babies, the Healers had told her that she wouldn't be able to deliver naturally.  About thirty minutes ago they'd taken Hermione and her mother, Elizabeth, back to the birthing room and Ron was so worried he couldn't keep still. 

Ron jumped up when a Healer entered. Giving him a smile she said, "Mr. Weasley, would you like to come see your new daughter and son?"  

Before what she said had a chance to sink in, he was on his feet and headed out the door. Behind him he heard his mother's voice, "Oh! Arthur, Bob, a girl and a boy!"

Ron stopped dead in his tracks. On the bed in the softly lit room lay Hermione, a small bundle at each side. Her mother was sitting in a chair at her side fussing over the baby near her. Sensing his presence, Hermione looked up, a smile on her face. _She's bloody beautiful,_ he thought as he took in the sight of his glowing wife and children. 

"You can come closer you know. They won't bite," Hermione said looking at her awe struck husband. 

"Blimey! They've got red hair," Ron exclaimed as he looked down at his new children. 

Giving her husband a tolerant smile, Hermione said, "Honestly, Ron, they're Weasleys. What did you expect?" 

********** 

"Ouch! SAM! SAM! Come quick," Lily shouted. 

Dropping the coconuts he was carrying, Sam ran for the clearing. Seeing Lily, her back to him, sitting on the ground clutching Skye his heart dropped. "What's wrong? Is she hurt?" he asked falling to the ground beside them. 

As Lily turned, he could see Skye's face break out in a smile as she saw him, her pudgy little arms stretching out to him.  

"She bit me. She's got her first tooth, Sam," Lily smiled as she looked over at him. 

Taking the squirming baby in his arms, Sam tickled her, "Did Daddy's little girl bite Mummy?" As the redheaded little girl giggled, he continued, "Did you bite Mummy?" 

Lowering his head he blew a raspberry on the wiggling child's stomach. Her peals of laughter rang about the clearing as he raised his head and gazed into her deep green eyes. 

********** 

July 31, 2000 

Hermione stopped unpacking the box when she came upon the photo album. Running her hand over the cover, she hesitated before opening it. The first page held a picture of the three of them, Harry, Ron, and herself, their first year at Hogwarts. She couldn't believe how young they looked then as she watched their younger images waving at her. As she continued to turn the pages, her life from the time she started at Hogwarts unfolded. She was smiling until she came upon the picture of Harry's fourteenth birthday party. The date she'd written under the picture seemed to jump out at her. July 31, 1994. With a start she realized that today would have been Harry's twentieth birthday.  

She couldn't help touching his picture as she whispered, "I miss you Harry."  

Staring blankly into space, Hermione's thoughts were on all the adventures and danger the three of them had shared. As her mind wandered the fact that the bad times greatly outweighed the good hit her, and she realized that Harry had never had many times to celebrate in his short lifetime. A deep sadness overcame her when she thought of how happy Harry had been with Ginny in the few short months before the end. _Life just wasn't fair, to have taken them before they'd had a chance to really live and love_ , Hermione thought.  

As she ran her hand over Harry's picture, she jumped as the idea hit. A party. There should be a party to celebrate Harry's birthday and his life and she was just the person to throw it. 

Hurrying over to the fireplace, she quickly threw in some floo powder and sticking her head in called out, "The Burrow," when the parlor of the Burrow came into view she started calling out, "Molly, are you there? Molly, its Hermione." She smiled as Molly came bustling out of the kitchen. 

"Hermione, is something wrong dear?" 

"No, everything's fine. I just wanted to know if you could come over. I want to do something and I need your help." 

"Of course I can come. I'll be right there." 

"Okay, thanks," Hermione said as she pulled her head out of the fireplace.  

She had barely had a chance to stand up and move out of the way before Mrs. Weasley arrived.  

Giving her daughter-in-law a quick hug she said, "Now what can I help you with dear?" 

"Today would have been Harry's twentieth birthday and I want to throw a party for him." Seeing Molly's bewildered look she continued, "Harry meant so much to me and to our family and friends and all we've done is mourn his death. We've never celebrated his life. Even when he was alive, there were never that many times to celebrate so I think we should all get together and throw the biggest party ever in remembrance of all the good times instead of mourning the bad." 

Hermione looked at Molly, "I don't want to forget him, Molly. He was my brother, and I loved him," she said softly, tears running down her face.  

Gathering her emotions in, Molly managed to smile, "I think it's a fine idea dear. How can I help?" A single tear ran down her cheek as she waited for Hermione's reply. 

"If you could just watch the twins while I go to the shop and talk to Ron and George, they're asleep right now and I won't be gone long." 

"All right dear, you run along and get things started and I'll start making out a list for the food and drinks. I assume you want the party at the Burrow?" 

"If it's all right with you? I'm afraid our flat's a little too small." 

"Of course it's all right dear. Now run along and I'll watch the children." 

Donning her cloak, Hermione turned and was gone. 

Arriving at _Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes_ , Hermione lost no time in laying out her plans to Ron and George.  

"It's short notice don't you think?" asked George. 

"Yeah, love, you could have given us a little more time," Ron said. 

"I'm sure the two of you are quite capable of getting everyone to come to a party," Hermione stated as she folded her arms and glared at them. 

Seeing the determined look she was giving them, both men started speaking quickly. 

"You're right Hermione, it's slow today. I'll just close up and start putting the word out," George said as he walked quickly over to the door, turning the sign to ‘Closed'. 

"Right love, just let me get out of these robes and I'm off," said Ron giving her a quick peck on the cheek before following George into the back room of the shop. 

With a smug smile, Hermione Appartated back home. Once there, she and Molly went about getting things ready for the party, taking turns popping out to pick up supplies. 

********** 

Hermione was really impressed with her husband and George.  The turn out was more than she'd expected. Her surprise grew when Seamus Finnigan and his wife Lavender arrived, having come all the way from Ireland. She'd heard that they'd gotten married, but hadn't seen either since the ceremony two months after the final battle. _They looked happy_ , she thought as she saw them walking through the crowd, Seamus's boisterous voice ringing out as he greeted people. 

Spotting Neville and his wife, Susan, she grinned as she remembered the night Neville had asked Susan Bones to marry him. They'd been on a double date with them, going to a Muggle movie, and then to dinner at a really nice Muggle restaurant in London.  

Neville had been so nervous that he'd knocked over his water glass, spilling it on Susan's lap. Ron told her later that when she and Susan had hurried off to the ladies' room to freshen up, Neville had almost called it off, embarrassed by his actions. Ron had encouraged him to proceed and the look of happiness on Susan's face when Neville proposed had been priceless. 

Hermione was concerned that George still hadn't shown up and was on her way to find Ron when the front door opened. Leading a rumpled but smiling Luna Lovegood, George entered. Ron had told her that they were dating but this was the first time she'd seen them as a couple. Walking over to greet them, Hermione knew the party was going to be a success when Luna smiled and said, "Sorry we're late, but George liked me in this dress so much he insisted on a quick shag before coming." 

********** 

"Sam, do you ever wonder about where we came from or how we got here?" Lily asked. 

Having gotten Skye settled down for the night, Lily and Sam were sitting outside by the fire enjoying the quiet evening. 

"Sometimes, I guess." 

"Wouldn't you like to know what your name is, who your parents are, and if you had any brothers or sisters?" 

Reaching over he placed his arm around her and drawing her close he whispered into her soft red hair, "You're my family, you and Skye. What my name was doesn't matter. I'm Sam now and we're here, together. That's all that matters to me." 

Raising her chin up, he kissed her gently on the lips. As the kiss deepened, she shifted, and her arms encircled him, drawing him closer to her. She moaned as his tongue slid softly into her mouth as they fell back onto the grass. Above them the stars blazed brightly. 

********** 

August 11, 2000 

"Now, Hermione you go on. They'll be just fine," Molly told her daughter-in-law.

"But Mum, what if they wake up? They'll be hungry and I won't be here to feed them," Hermione whined as she looked at her two sleeping babies, cuddled together in their crib. She still couldn't get over having two children.  

When they'd been born, Ron had insisted on naming them after his lost family members and friend; naming their daughter Ginevra Charlie and their son Fredrick Harry.  

"If they wake up I'll send Pigwidgeon with a note. You can be back in minutes and you know it," Molly said taking Hermione's arm and leading her out of the nursery.  

"You'll let me know the minute they wake up?" 

"Yes dear, I'll let you know. Now off with you," Molly said pushing her out the flat's door. 

Molly smiled as she leaned against the closed door. Today was Hermione's first day back at work since the twins were born and she was fighting it all the way. Ron had left over an hour ago to open up the shop, leaving only when Hermione had promised she'd be there before the store opened for the day. She didn't make it.  

Making herself a cup of tea, Molly surveyed the small flat as she sat at the kitchen table. The living area was one big room with a fireplace on one side and the kitchen area on the other. There was a short hall that led to the two bedrooms on each side with the bathroom at the end.  

It won't be long she thought before they'll need more room. Maybe it was time she brought up them buying a house again. It wasn't like they couldn't afford one. The family had been surprised when they'd found out that Harry had a will. In it he'd left Number 12 Grimmauld Place to Remus, while splitting the contents of his Gringotts vault between Ron and Remus. Molly had never seen so much gold in her life. Between what Harry's parents had left him and what he received from Sirius after his death, Harry had been a very wealthy young man.  

The problem was Ron couldn't bring himself to spend any of it. Content to live off of what he and Hermione made working for George, he refused to spend any of Harry's money as he called it.  

********** 

Lily was working in her garden planting some new flowers Sam had brought back from his latest excursion to the cliff part of the island. These new flowers were a bright orange with blue highlights on a thick stalk. As she finished covering over the last bulb, after pressing the dirt firmly around it, she sat back and admired her little garden. Over time it had grown quite nicely. Every time she or Sam found a new flower or small plant, they would dig it up and bring it back to put in her garden.  

With a sigh of contentment, Lily got up and picking up the water bottle went down to the stream to fill it so she could finish watering her latest additions 

********** 

 


	4. Chapter Four: Year Three

Chapter Four: Year Three 

February 14, 2001 

"Come on, Hermione hurry up," Ron yelled from where he stood by the flat's fireplace, a baby in each arm. 

"You don't have to yell Ronald. I told you I'd there in a minute," Hermione stated as she walked out of their bedroom. "I don't see what the rush is anyway since you won't tell me where we're going."

Ron smiled brightly at his flustered wife, "If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" 

********** 

Five months ago Ron's dad had waylaid him when he'd gone to the Burrow to deliver pictures of the kids to them. After ooing and ahing over the pictures for a while, they were interrupted by the arrival of Remus and his new wife Tonks.  

Ron knew something was up when his mother invited Tonks to join her in the kitchen. Tonks and kitchens just didn't get along with each other. He chuckled when he heard a glass shatter followed by Tonks cursing.  

Ron stiffened when his father said, "Ron, it's time you bought a house. Hermione and the children deserve a home." 

"Dad, You kno...." 

His father cut him of, "Don't Dad me. You can afford it and you know it, and don't say you're not going to profit from Harry's death by using his money. He left it to you, Ron. He wanted you to have it. Don't you think that he'd want you to use it for your family?" 

"I can't, Dad. The money was for him and Ginny. So they could be together and have a home. Something he never had, but wanted more than anything. I just can't use it. It wouldn't be right." 

Remus, who had been quiet until now spoke up, "Ron, I found this yesterday when I was going through Harry's school trunk," he said as he held out a letter to him. "There were three of them. One for me, one for Ginny, and the other addressed to you. I've read mine so I think I know what yours says." 

Taking the envelope, almost reverently, from Remus, Ron stared at it. There was no mistaking Harry's messy scrawl. Carefully opening it he pulled out the letter. Hands shaking he opened it and began reading. 

_Dear Ron,_

_If you're reading this then I didn't make it and I'm dead. You're also probably wondering why I left you, and not Ginny, half the money in my vault. The reasons are simple. First, you're my best mate, my closest friend, and my brother. Second, Ginny is not of age yet and you are. She would have to have someone oversee things until she came of age. Third, I know that no matter what happens, you'll look after Ginny for me and see that she has everything that she needs. And last, but not least, I expect you to get off your arse and ask Hermione to marry you. When she says yes, as I know she will, I want you to buy or build her a home of her own, your own little Burrow, where you can both grow old together surrounded by your children and grandchildren.  She's my sister, and I want you to take care of her as I would have taken care of yours. I was never happier than when we were at your parents. The love in their house was amazing and I want that for you and Hermione. So just do it or I swear I'll come back just to kick your arse. The luckiest day of my life was when I met you and Hermione on the train that day. You two became my closest friends and my family and through you I met the love of my life, Ginny. Take care of them, Ron. It's up to you now._

_Love,_

_Your brother, Harry_

Ron wasn't aware that he was crying until he saw the drops falling on the letter.  

"Are you all right, Son?" his father asked as he placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. 

Unable to answer, Ron passed the letter to his father. 

As he waited for his father to read it, he thought about what Harry had said. He knew in his heart that Harry would have done anything to make Ginny happy. He'd never worried about Harry hurting her, and now Harry was asking him to take care of his sister, Hermione, in the same way he would have cared for Ginny, by giving her a home of her own. Wiping the tears from his face, he sat up straight. He would do it. He would give Hermione a home. As he came to his decision he hoped with all his might that if there was something beyond this life that Harry and Ginny were together and happy. 

A broken sob from his father brought him back to the present. Taking the letter from his father's shaking hands Ron gathered him to himself, hugging Arthur tightly.  

"I want to build Hermione a home. Will you help me?" he asked. 

********** 

The next few months were a flurry of activity as the plans for the house developed. Ron wanted it to be close to the Burrow. So he spent two weeks looking for the perfect land to build on. He found what he wanted only a mile from his old home. Next was deciding on the layout. Here he had help from not only his parents but Remus as well, who he'd also asked for help. He knew he wanted the kitchen to be big enough for family dinners, just as the kitchen at the Burrow was. His mother's inputs played an important role in its design. A big family room was also a must.  

Remus reminded him of Hermione's love of books, so a library was added just for her. The final plans showed a master bedroom with bath and four smaller bedrooms with each pair sharing a bathroom. He was able to get Neville Longbottom to help in the layout of the garden.  

Neville had made a name for himself as a master gardener and was booked solid with work. But when Ron had shown up asking for his help, he'd put other jobs on hold and dedicated his time to laying out the garden for Hermione. 

The hardest part had been keeping it a secret from Hermione. He'd just about run out of explanations for his numerous trips to the Burrow.  

Today everyone's hard work would pay off. The house was finished and Ron was about to give it to her, if they ever got out of the flat that is.  

Handing little Freddy to her, he took a handful of floo powder and throwing it into the fire, looked at his wife and said, "Comfort Hollow," before stepping in.  

Stepping out of the fireplace into their new home, he waited for Hermione. Around him were the rest of his family, Hermione's parents, and friends. From the kitchen came the smells of something wonderful cooking. 

As the fireplace flashed and Hermione stepped out the cries of, "SURPRISE", rang out from those around her.  

Walking over to his stunned wife, Ron took her hand, and placing a set of keys in it said, "Happy Valentines Day, love. Welcome home." 

********** 

Lily smiled as she watched Sam and Skye playing in the sand. Every time he tried to build a sand castle, Skye would kick it down and run screaming to her mother with Sam in hot pursuit. Grabbing up the naked child just before she reached her mother, he would swing her high in the air, causing her to shriek with laughter before carrying her back to the ruined castle. This last time Sam had stopped long enough to whistle in appreciation at Lily's naked body before heading back. She had whistled back at him as she watched his naked form retreat.  

Her knickers had met their doom over a week ago when they'd snagged on a bush, ripping the elastic on one side. Wanting to save what was left of her cutoffs, she'd taken to wearing the wrap around skirt she'd worn when pregnant. Even though she'd shortened it, the heavy wool garment was too hot to wear on the beach, so she took it off when they played or walked there. Sam's boxers, though wearable, were in pretty sad shape, but seeing as how she was naked, he'd decided to join her.   

********** 

July 31, 2001 

Lily took a deep breath, enjoying the feel of the wind as it caressed her naked body. Leaning her head against Sam, she squeezed him with the arm she had around his waist. She smiled as he squeezed her back and looked up to see him smiling down at her, their daughter Skye riding on his shoulders. 

Today they were going to the other side of the island. It was windier there and things tended to wash up on the beach more. Lily especially liked the shells she found there but the three bottles they'd found had come in handy for carrying water.  

The wind picked up as they rounded the point and Lily stopped. Releasing her hold on Sam, she faced the wind, closed her eyes, and raised her arms out to her side. The stronger wind was cool as it raced over her body. Sighing with contentment, she lowered her arms, and opening her eyes found Sam watching her in amazement. 

"You're beautiful," his soft voice said, "Truly beautiful." The awe in his voice evident. 

Blushing, she looked down, "I bet you say that to every naked girl you see." 

Gathering her in his arms, he enjoyed the feel as their naked bodies came together. "Only you, love. Only you." The moment was broken when Skye grabbed two fists full of his hair and yanked. 

"Ow! You little devil, you," Sam said as he released Lily. Reaching up, he grabbed Skye, swung her off his shoulders, and tossed her up in the air, laughing at her shrieks of joy. Lily's laughter joining his as they enjoyed their daughter's happiness.  

**********

"What's that Sam?" Lily asked pointing down the beach to where something was being washed up, then pulled back out by the waves. 

Shading his eyes from the sun, Sam tried to make out what she was pointing to. "It looks like a bag or something." 

"It looks yellow doesn't it?" 

"Yeah, it does." 

"Wonder what it could be?" 

"I don't know, could be anything." 

Noticing that whatever the thing was had started to float back out to sea, Lily shoved Sam, "Well don't just stand there. Hurry! Go get it, before it's gone." 

Handing Skye to her mother, Sam set out in a run down the beach. Reaching the spot where the thing was floating away, he plunged into the water, wading out to grab it. 

Lily watched as Sam grabbed the thing and pulled it to him. She was surprised when his laughter rang out as he turned back to the beach. 

"Lily! Quick, you have to see this," he called. 

As she walked toward him she could see that he was still laughing as he pulled something from the bag she now saw him holding. 

"What is it? What's so funny?" She could see him shaking his head as she continued to walk to him. 

"You'll have to wait until you get here," he said as he tried to hide the bag and what he'd pulled from it behind his back. 

Curious, Lily tried to catch a peek at what he was hiding. 

"Oi, no peeking," he said as she stopped in front of him. With a wide grin on his face he brought his hand out from behind his back and with a flourish presented the bright yellow rubber duck to Skye, "For you, Princess." 

Skye's eyes opened wide as she stared at the duck resting in his hand. Looking to her mother for assurance, she reached out and touched the duck before jerking her hand back.  

"Go on honey, it's all right," Lily said, holding her closer to Sam's outstretched hand. 

"Come on, Princess, it won't hurt you," Sam said. 

Looking from one parent to the other, she reached out hesitantly and took the duck from Sam's hand. She jumped when it squeaked as she closed her small hand around it. Taking it in both hands, her face serious, she studied it closely, turning it over as she did. Lily and Sam smiled at each other as they watched her serious face.  

Skye squeezed it again causing it to squeak. Squeezing it once more she smiled as it squeaked. Looking up at her parents she said, "Squishy."  

Sam and Lily laughed at Skye's bright smile as she continued to cause the duck to squeak.  

Holding the duck out to Lily, Skye said, "Squishy, Mummy, squishy." 

"No baby, it's a duck." Lily's heart swelled as she looked at her daughters shining face. Skye had her first toy. 

"Down, Mummy, down." 

Placing the squirming child on the sand, Lily looked at Sam. "So what else was in the bag?"Grinning widely, Sam pulled the bag from behind his back, opened it and proceeded to dump a steady stream of bright yellow rubber ducks in front of their daughter.  

Skye's laughter rang out as the ducks fell around her. "Squishy, Daddy, squishy, Mummy, squishy..." she chanted as they fell. Lily broke out in laughter at her baby's delighted antics. 

********* 

October 15, 2001 

Arthur smiled as he watched his wife running about the garden issuing orders right and left. He laughed when she stopped and yelled at Bill and Ron, telling them that the row of chairs they were setting out wasn't straight, the two men cringing under her wrathful look. Tomorrow was George's wedding and she was determined that everything was going to be perfect. 

He'd been happy when Ron had let slip George was dating someone. After Fred's death, George had taken to drinking and shutting himself away. Arthur had been on the verge of intervening when the news of George's new girlfriend came out. For the next few weeks, Arthur had watched his son very closely. He was amazed at how quickly George changed. Soon he was almost his old self, laughing and making jokes, even pulling pranks on Ron. Arthur didn't know who the young lady was that was responsible for bringing his son back, but he thanked her every day.  

When George had shown up at Harry's remembrance party with Luna Lovegood he was completely shocked. He'd been standing close enough to the door when they'd arrived to hear Luna's reason for being late. He'd nearly choked on the drink he'd just taken when she'd given the excuse, her openness surprising him.  

He spent the evening watching them. When George had picked up a drink, Luna had looked at him, "You shouldn't drink that George. Once you start drinking you won't stop and I'm not going to sleep with you tonight if you're drunk." Her words caused those around them to stare at them in shock. 

Arthur was stunned when George had set the drink back down on the table, "Sorry, love. You're right, I shouldn't be drinking," he'd said leaning down to kiss her lightly on the lips.  

It was all Arthur could do at the time not to rush over and give Luna a hug and thinking about it now, was ashamed that he hadn't. She was the best thing that could happen to George.  

**********

 


	5. Chapter 5: Year Four

Chapter Five: Year Four 

April, 15, 2002 

The garden at the Burrow was full of laughing and dancing friends and family this evening. Even though it was four years to the day since the loss of their four children, Arthur and Molly had decided to throw a party. After Hermione had given the party in Harry’s remembrance, the family had decided to have one big party a year on the day of their loss to remember them all.  

Pictures of the four had been placed on stands throughout the garden and Molly smiled as she watched Seamus and Neville lift their glasses to a picture of Harry and Ginny. Katie Bell was standing next to George and Luna, laughing as they watched a picture of Fred make obscene gestures at them. 

Looking around, Molly caught sight of Percy dancing with Penny. In not quite the year and a half since he’d gotten out of that Muggle prison and rejoined the family, Percy had changed dramatically. While still serious at work, he was now the business manager for _Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes_ , he was completely different at home or with the family. He laughed, played with all the children, helped anyone anytime, and made his family his first priority. Even Ron, who’d been the hardest about accepting him back, now got along with him. They’d even gone on business trips together setting up new outlets for the shops products. 

Watching the milling crowd, Molly sighed. _Life goes on for the living_ , but it was hard. 

********** 

Lily was asleep under the tree by the stream, their daughter wrapped in her arms, when Sam returned from the beach with his prize...  

Not wanting to wake them, Sam quietly set about unfolding and stretching out the heavy green tarp he’d found washed up on the beach. Finished, he stepped back. Pacing off its size he determined that it was about eight meters by eight meters. _Enough to accomplish the goal_ , he thought.  

Dragging it over to their hut, he pulled one corner over to the other side.  He secured it by tying it to one of the roof poles, running braided rope made from palm leaves through the metal grommet and tying it tightly. That done, he walked back around the hut and picking up the other corner, stretched the tarp out before dragging it over the roof of the hut. Going back to the corner he’d already tied, he worked his was along the tarp, stretching and tying it as he went. When he got to the end of the hut, he was glad to see that there was quite a bit of tarp left. Going to the backside of the hut, he continued tying the tarp to the roof poles. With two sides secured, he retrieved a sharp shell he used for cutting, and being careful, proceeded to cut away the excess tarp from the other side of the hut, making small holes in the tarp and tying it to the roof poles as he went. He then proceeded to do the same on the front side of the hut.  

Turning to his next task, he cut and tied the remaining tarp material to the two sides of the hut that the wind and rain came through during the rainy season. Finished, he stepped back and admired his work. No more leaky roof and cold wind he thought with a smile. Gathering up the remaining scraps of material he placed them in the hut for safekeeping.  

“Mummy, look. Look Mummy.” 

Turning, Sam saw Skye shaking her mother’s arm as she tried to get her to wake up. 

“What, baby. Look at what?” Lily mumbled as she sat up rubbing her eyes. 

“There Mummy, see?” Skye said grabbing her mother’s head and pulling it to where she was pointing. 

Lily’s eyes widened as she took in the newly covered hut. Standing up, she walked over, and like a general inspecting his troops, proceeded to walk around the hut. When she returned to where Sam was holding Skye he looked at her, “Do you like it?” 

“Oh, Sam. It’s fantastic.” Breaking out in laughter she started jumping up and down like a little girl, clapping her hands and shouting, “No more leaky roof!” 

********** 

August 20, 2002 

George watched Luna as she went through her morning exercises. Even though she was five months pregnant, she was still incredibly graceful as she performed her Yoda? Yoge? Yoga? What ever it was she did.  

If anyone at Hogwarts had told him then that he’d marry Loony Luna Lovegood, he’d have told them they were crazy. Now, he couldn’t even imagine not having this incredibly strange yet loving woman as a part of his life. She made him whole.  

He never had to wonder what she was thinking or feeling, she always let him know. She also always seemed to know when he was feeling down or worried, or when he was thinking about her. He snapped back into focus as Luna slid into his lap, raising his chin and giving him a kiss that caused him to melt against her. 

Breaking the kiss she looked him in the eye, “You make me whole, too, my love.” Sliding out of his grip, she walked back over to her exercise mat to finish her workout.  

********** 

They were on the cliff end of the island, a place they hardly ever visited due to the lack of beach, sharp rocks, and sheer cliffs, when Sam spotted the small break in the cliff face that the lowering tide was slowly revealing. Thinking it might lead to a larger cave, he jumped into the water and made his way towards it, Lily’s protests ringing in his ears.  

Reaching the opening, he was almost smashed up against the sharp rocks framing it by the waves. Once inside the light dimmed rapidly as he proceeded to swim farther and farther into the opening. Just as he was about to turn around, he saw a dim light ahead. Swimming faster he soon reached an outcrop of smooth rock. Pulling himself up onto it, he stood and looked around. Sam found himself in a cavern, the light coming from a small opening to his left. Feeling his way toward the light, he tripped, bruising his knee as he fell to the stone floor. Standing up he continued to make his way toward the light, limping heavily as he did so. 

Arriving at his destination, he found that the light was coming from an overgrown vine filled opening. Tugging the vines and vegetation away he found that he could easily crawl through.  

Looking down to the beach from where he stood beside the cavern opening, he could see Lily, with Skye perched on her hip, pacing rapidly back and forth, her eyes focused on the cliff opening he’d initially entered.  Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted to her.  

Sam watched as she stopped pacing and whipped around to face the hill he was on. Knowing that she hadn’t seen him yet, he waved his arms and called her name. He could tell when she found him when she waved back at him and starting pointing at him while talking to Skye.  

Turning back, he re-entered the cavern. Because he’d removed the vines and vegetation from the opening, more light poured into the darkness around him and he was able to see what he’d tripped on.  

Lying on the cavern floor were the remains of a man, his clothes rotted, nothing remaining except for his bones and a few pieces of rusty metal. Examining the cavern closer, Sam found a cutlass, a broken keg, and a pile of old coconut shells.  

“Sam, what did you find? Let me see. Oh! A sword. Did you find anything else?” Lily pelted him with a nonstop barrage of questions as he made his way down to the beach. 

“Nope, just a pile of old bones and a broken keg.” 

********** 

December 25, 2002 

“George, don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s supposed to hurt a little,” Luna said as she held her husband’s hand.  

It was Christmas morning and instead of opening presents at the Burrow with the family, everyone was at St. Mungo’s for the birth of George and Luna’s baby.  

“I just don’t like seeing you in pain,” George said as he leaned down to kiss Luna gently.  

“Our daughter is going to be fine, George. It won’t be much longer now.” 

“How come you’re so sure we’re going to have a daughter? Boys dominate our family you know.” 

“Our baby is a girl and you still haven’t told me which name you like. Do you want your daughter to be born without a name?” 

A dreamy look came over Luna’s face and she began to hum softly to herself. The only indication that she was suffering another contraction was the increase in pressure she applied to George’s hand.  

“I can see the head. It’ll be over soon now, I should think,” the Healer said as she looked up at Luna and George. “Another good push or two should do it.” 

Luna’s silvery gray eyes lost their dreamy look as the contraction passed. “Well? Have you decided on our daughter’s name yet? There’s not much time left you know.”  

_She never fails to amaze me_ George thought to himself as he looked at his wife. The years since Hogwarts had made a great change in her. Her hair, once waist length, straggly, and dirty blonde was now neatly cut to shoulder length, the color a rich golden blonde that shone brightly. Her face bore an almost regal look and her body was toned and nicely curved, men were known to stop and stare in appreciation when she walked by. A far cry from her Hogwarts days when she was the butt of numerous jokes, he recalled. 

“We’ll name her Liora after your mother, all right?”  

“Thank you, George. I think she would like that.” 

Ten minutes later Liora Ann Weasley made her entrance into the wizard world. What was most amazing was she didn’t have the customary red Weasley hair. Instead, her hair was a light strawberry blonde and her eyes were a deep clear blue with silvery highlights. 

When George walked into the waiting room, a wide grin on his face, everyone looked at him in anticipation. 

Molly, impatient to know about her new grandchild, blurted out, “Well! George, tell us about him.” 

Smirking at her George said, “Tell you about him? What him? My baby is a girl and if you ask nicely I’ll take you back to see her.” 

********** 

Now that Sam had the cutlass, he was determined to make their hut bigger and better. He’d been cutting down and trimming small trees since daybreak and now had quite an impressive pile.  

Stopping to take a drink from his water bottle, he looked over to the pool where Lily was playing with Skye. He never tired of watching them. At the moment they were surrounded by a sea of yellow rubber ducks, Sam had driven wooden stakes across the stream bed to keep them from floating away, playing a game of some sort with them. 

Deciding it was time to take a break, Sam snuck up to the pool and giving a loud yell, jumped in, soaking the girls when he hit the water.  

Surfacing, he was confronted by an angry Skye, who pointed her finger at him, “Daddy you messed up our game. Bad Daddy. Shame on you.”  

“Yes Daddy, shame on you,” Lily added as she tried not to smile at her daughter’s stern look. 

Wadding over to the shallow waters, Sam dropped to his knees, a pitiful look on his face, in front of Skye, and clasping his hands, begged, “I’m sorry Princess, please forgive me.” 

Skye giggled at the funny face he was making. “Daddy you’re silly.” 

Lunging forward, Sam grabbed her up, raining kisses on her small face. His antics causing Skye to laugh and scream in delight. 

Noticing Lily edging her way toward the bank, Sam sat Skye down and grabbed Lily’s ankle, pulling her back into the shallow water where he pounced on her, tickling her, “Skye it’s tickle Mummy time,” he called. In no time he and Skye had Lily begging for mercy as they tickled her unmercifully. 

********** 


	6. Chapter 6: Year Five

  
Author's notes:

I owe a BIG apology to my beta tajareyul for not acknowledging sooner all the time and help for this story. I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me.

* * *

Chapter Six: Year Five 

January 1, 2003 

Tonks absently shifted from one foot to the other as she looked around her kitchen. Molly and Hermione were busy cooking and setting up for her thirtieth birthday party later that evening and every time she offered to help, they both told her no. Tonks knew that she wasn’t the most graceful person in a kitchen, but it was her kitchen. 

Grumbling to herself at being told to leave everything to them, Tonks went into the living room and sat down. Looking around, she was once again amazed at the changes Remus had made to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. She shuttered as she remembered how it looked the first time she’d been here. The house elf heads hanging on the walls, the dark colors, and gloomy feel of the place had made her uneasy. 

Now the whole house was bright and cheerful. When Remus had found out that Harry had left the place to him and half of his gold too, he had immediately continued the remodeling that Molly had started with the kids long ago when they had to stay here during the war.  

Tonks knew that part of the reason Remus did it was because of Sirius. She knew how much he had hated this house and so did Remus. She’d found out the other reason when Remus had finally told her that he loved her and asked her to marry him.  

As she looked around none of the uneasiness she’d felt then remained, only the happiness of knowing that this now belonged to her and Remus, and would one day be home to their children. 

********** 

Skye was playing with her mother’s wand. All fairy princesses had a magic wand, her mother had told her. So while Mummy and Daddy were preparing lunch, she’d snuck into the hut and taken Mummy’s wand.  

Sitting in their new living room that Daddy had built; she sat on her throne, the stool Daddy made for her. On the ground before her lay her favorite squishy. He wanted to be bigger than the other ducks and had come to her so she could make him big.  

Granting him his request, she waved her wand and tapped him on the head saying, “Be bigger.” 

Skye fell off her stool in shock, as green sparks flew out of the wand and the duck grew bigger and bigger. When it stopped, it was big enough for her to ride on.  

Scrambling to her feet, Skye dropped her mother’s wand and raced from the hut screaming, “Mummy, Daddy, come see what I did! I made squishy bigger. Come see.”  

Reaching her parents, Skye grabbed her mother’s hand, tugging on it. “Come on Mummy, hurry.” 

“Honey, what? What do you want me to see?” Lily asked as she stood up. 

“I did it, I made squishy bigger, Mummy.” 

“What do you mean you made squishy bigger, baby?” asked Lily as an impatient Skye continued to pull her toward the hut. 

“You’ll see, Mummy. Hurry, Daddy, hurry up,” Skye called to her father who was slowly following them. 

Lily stopped dead as she caught sight of the giant yellow rubber duck sitting in the middle of the living room. It was at least three feet high and probably just as long. Walking slowly over to it, she reached out and touched it gently. It still felt like a rubber duck. Grabbing its beak, she squeezed it. Lily jumped when a loud squeak came from the duck.  

Turning she saw Sam kneeling next to Skye, a fierce look of pride on his face as he looked at their daughter. “Well, Princess, how did you manage to do that?” he asked pointing to the giant duck. 

“I was playing with Mummy’s wand and he wanted to be bigger so I made him bigger.” 

“Skye, you’re not supposed to play w….” Lily broke off as Sam interrupted her. 

“Now, Lily, don’t scold her. I want to find out how she did this, okay?” Turning back to Skye he asked, “All right, Princess, tell me what you were doing before he got bigger.” 

“I was playing fairy princess and Mummy said all fairy princesses had magic wands so I got hers. Squishy wanted to be bigger so I touched him with my wand and said ‘Be bigger’ and he did.” 

“Did anything else happen, a light come from the wand or anything?” 

“Green sparks came out.” 

“That’s it, just green sparks?” 

“Uh huh,” Skye said nodding her head. 

Sam stood, and turning to Lily, asked her to hand her wand, which she’d picked up from the floor, to Skye. 

“Do you think that’s a good idea Sam?” she asked pointing to the giant duck. 

“I want to see what else she can make grow like that.” 

“Before you do, I think we’d better go outside. I don’t want my living room full of giant things.” 

“Good idea. Come on Princess, let’s go outside,” Sam said taking Skye’s hand. 

Once outside, Lily handed her wand to Skye. Her parents were stunned as she caused first another duck to grow followed by one of Lily’s favorite shells, a rock, and last, but not least, one of their water bottles to grow larger. 

Looking at Lily, Sam said, “I think we all need to try working with the wands more.” 

********** 

April 15, 2003 

“Any Luck?” Hermione asked Ron as he walked in the door. 

“No, not even a bloody hint of where he is,” Ron said as he stopped long enough to hang his cloak up before gathering her in a tight hug. “Some people say he’s in Wales, others say Scotland, or Ireland. The only thing everyone seems to agree on is that he’s not in England. No ones seen him in the last four years that I can find.” 

“Hagrid has to be somewhere. Somebody has to know where he is. Can’t you think of anyone else to ask?” 

“Hermione, I’ve spent the last three days asking people. Here in England, and Wales, and Scotland. I even went to Ireland because this barmy old witch told me her brother said Hagrid was living outside his village. You’d think it would be easy to find a half-giant but believe me it’s not.” 

“It’s just that tonight’s the five year party and I wanted Hagrid to be here. He was Harry’s first friend in the wizarding world.” 

“That’s why he left in the first place love. You remember how he was after Dumbledore was killed? Then so many were lost in the last battle. Hagrid just couldn’t take loosing Harry too.” 

“But he was our friend too, Ron. Don’t you want to know that he’s alright? He needs to know that he still has friends that care about him.” 

“Hermione, he doesn’t want to be found and until he does there’s nothing we can do.” 

********** 

October 15, 2003 

Luna smiled to herself as she watched George. Tonight they were celebrating their second anniversary. She’d known from the first time she’d seen him that someday she would marry him. How, she couldn’t tell you, just like she knew their first child would be a girl and the next two, whenever they came, would be boys. Sometimes things just came to her. Like right now, she knew George was thinking about how to get her out of the restaurant and back home in bed.  

She blushed as she caught a glint of what he had planned to do once he had her in bed. “George, please finish your meal. You can have me all to yourself later but the chocolate sounds a little messy.” 

“What! How did you…,” George stopped and reaching across the table took Luna’s hand in his, “Luna, sometimes you truly amaze me.” Breaking out in a leering smile, he wiggled his eyebrows, “Chocolate may be messy but think of the fun we can have cleaning it up.” 

As one of her signature dreamy smiles lit her face, Luna raised their clasped hands to her lips. Kissing his hand she said, “I love you George Weasley.” 

**********

Sam was excited. He’d just found a small patch of pineapples. There were only six or seven plants, but three of them had pineapples and one of them looked ripe. Using the cutlass, he carefully cut the fruit free and sat it aside. He then carefully dug up one of the smaller plants. Carrying his new treasures he set out for home. He couldn’t wait to present Lily with his latest finds. 

********** 


	7. Chapter 7: Year Six

Chapter Seven: Year Six 

January 1, 2004 

Lily couldn’t believe how fast Skye was growing. It seemed like yesterday she was just starting to walk. Now she was racing Sam up and down the beach, laughing as they chased each other. With no way to measure time, Lily could only guess how old Skye was. Using the rainy season as a guide she figured that Skye was four now. It didn’t seem possible. How could her baby be growing up so fast? 

********** 

June 22, 2004 

“Finished, Mummy?” Ginny asked her mother as she tugged on her sleeve, “let me see.” 

Hermione was making out birthday invitations to send out for the twins’ upcoming fourth birthday party. Ginny had insisted on sending them out after her cousin had sent them for his last birthday party.  

“All right, Ginny. Just let me finish this last one, okay?”  Hermione asked her impatient daughter.  

“Hurry up, Mummy. I want to see.” 

Folding the last invitation and sealing it, Hermione sat back. “There, all done now,” she said as she picked up her daughter and sat her in her lap. “Now what did you want to see?” 

“Show me Mummy.” 

Taking up the stack of invitations, Hermione slowly went through them telling Ginny the name of each person it was addressed to as she went. When she’d finished she asked, “All right then, are you satisfied, honey. We didn’t miss anyone did we?” 

“Mummy, you forgot Aunt Ginny. You didn’t send her one. You promised.” 

Hermione’s eyes started to mist up as she thought about her lost friend and sister. “Baby, I told you that Aunt Ginny has gone away. She can’t come to your party.” 

“She has too. You send one to her. You promised. She’ll come, you’ll see.”  

Sighing, Hermione gave in as she saw the fierce look on her daughter’s face. “All right Ginny, we’ll send a special one to Aunt Ginny.” 

Taking out another piece of parchment, Hermione wrote out another invitation, folded it and addressed it to Ginevra Molly Weasley; address unknown, thinking that she’d toss it away when she posted the rest of the invitations. As Hermione placed it on the stack, Ron called her from the garden. Getting up, she left to see what he wanted.  

Once her mother was out of the room, Ginny grabbed Aunt Ginny’s invitation from the stack and, racing over to Hedwig, tied the invitation clumsily to her leg. Everybody knew that special letters were sent by owl after all.  

Opening the window she looked sternly at the owl and said, “Take this to Aunt Ginny.” She watched as Hedwig flew out the window. 

**********

Lily’s naked body sparkled in the sunlight, water drops falling from it as she left the pool. Wringing water from her hair, she watched Sam and Skye play. Skye was riding her giant squishy as Sam pushed her slowly around the pool. As he did, he made the duck bob from side to side or back and forth, causing Skye to giggle and laugh. Lily loved the time she had with her family. 

Her hair wrung enough, Lily ran her hands through it spreading it out around her bare shoulders so it would dry faster before sitting down on the bank. Watching Sam and Skye, their tanned naked bodies glowing in the sun, she marveled at the fact that she no longer though about wearing clothes anymore. It was warm here on the island and she loved the feel of the wind on her bare skin. Only when the rainy season came did she wear anything and only then to keep out the chill that came with the rain. Life here was good. She had everything she wanted right in front of her. Her daughter and Sam. 

********** 

July 8, 2004 

Hermione thought the party was going well until Ginny came over to her and crawled up into her lap, leaning her small head against her body. 

“What’s wrong, baby? Not enjoying the party, or just tried from all the excitement?” 

“She didn’t come Mummy. Aunt Ginny didn’t come.” 

“Oh, honey. I told you she couldn’t come,” Hermione whispered to her daughter as she hugged her tightly. 

“But I sent her invitation Mummy. Hedwig took it.” 

Hermione, who’d thought that Hedwig, who Ron had been caring for since Harry’s death, had flown off as she refused to have anything to do with anyone after Harry’s loss, was surprised by Ginny’s statement. 

“What do you mean Hedwig took it?” 

“It was special and owls carry special post, right Mummy, I told Hedwig to take it to Aunt Ginny.” 

Rubbing her daughter’s back, Hermione said, “Maybe Hedwig couldn’t find her or maybe Hedwig got hurt and couldn’t deliver it.” 

“Where’s Hedwig now Mummy? How come she’s not home?” 

“I don’t know dear. We’ll worry about that later.” Sitting her daughter up, Hermione kissed her cheek, “Now run along and enjoy your party.” 

_Where was Hedwig?_ Hermione thought as she stood up to rejoin the party. 

********** 

Dusk was falling as they finished eating. Lily had just stood up to dispose of the remains when the snowy white owl fell to the ground in front of her. Startled, she jumped back.  

“Oh! Where did you come from?” she exclaimed, looking down at the barely moving owl. Noticing that the poor bird appeared to be exhausted, she knelt down and reaching out, carefully touched it. 

“Careful Lily, it might bite you,” Sam said as he came over to kneel next to her. 

“Mummy is it alright?” asked Skye as she, too, knelt down by the owl. Seeing something sticking out from under it she asked, “What’s that Daddy?” 

Looking closely, Sam saw what looked like a rolled up piece of paper poking out from under the owl. He carefully reached out, and gently lifting the bird, saw that it was tied to the owl’s leg.  

“Lily, can you hold it up? There’s something tied to its leg.” 

Seeing that the worn-out owl wasn’t going to bite her, in fact, it seemed to be trying to rub its head against her hand, Lily carefully picked it up. Cradling the poor bird gently in her arms, she held it out so that Sam could remove the paper from its leg. 

“What is it Sam?” she asked. 

Opening the paper up, Sam read what was written on it. “It’s an invitation from someone named Hermione Granger-Weasley to Fredrick Harry and Ginevra Charlie Weasley’s fourth birthday party to be held on July 8th at Comfort Hollow,” turning the paper over he continued, “It’s addressed to Ginevra Molly Weasley, address unknown.” 

“Who uses owls to deliver birthday invitations? And why did it come here?” Lily asked as she slowly stroked the owl.  

“Strange isn’t it,” Sam replied. “It must have gotten lost.” 

Skye, who was fascinated with the owl in her mother’s arms, slowly held the piece of cooked fish she’d been nibbling on out to the owl. She jumped back when the bird reached out and snatched it from her. Gobbling it down, the owl looked at her and hooted softly. “Mummy, it’s hungry. Feed it, Mummy.” 

Seeing the concern on her daughter’s face, Lily gently sat the owl down by the mat containing the remains of their dinner. The owl immediately pounced on the food and began greedily wolfing it down. Thinking that the bird might be thirsty too, Lily poured some water into a coconut shell and placed it next to the eating bird. Finished eating, the owl proceeded to drink the water.  

Sam, who had sat down to watch the owls’ strange actions, froze when the owl hopped over and jumped into his lap, snuggling up to him and hooting softly as it nuzzled his hand. Unsure what to do, Sam started rubbing and scratching the owl’s neck gently. His actions caused the owl to close its eyes and croon softly. 

“Well it looks like you’ve found a new friend,” Lily said. 

“Can I pet it, Daddy?” asked Skye. 

“Come over and sit next to me. Slow now, we don’t want to scare it.”  

Once Skye was seated next to him, Sam took her hand and slowly brought it over to the owl. “Be gentle, Skye and go slow, okay.” 

“Sam don’t let it hurt her.” 

“I don’t think it will, but I’ll watch it closely. Don’t worry, love.” 

As the little girl’s hand made contact, the owl’s eyes opened and it stopped crooning. Swiveling its head, it looked from Sam, to Lily, and back to Skye. Shifting its body, the owl rubbed its head against the girl’s hand before once again closing its eyes. Its soft crooning resumed as the little girl petted the owl softly. 

When Lily tried to take the owl, so that Sam could get up for bed, the owl was frantic, hooting loudly and thrashing its wings, until Sam took it back. Once back in Sam’s arms, the owl settled down, cooing softly as it snuggled against him. 

“It must be female,” Lily said laughingly, “your magnificent body has her mesmerized.” 

“So my body’s magnificent, is it?” Sam said giving her a wicked leer. “Want to become mesmerized with it?” he asked standing up and kissing her before leading her toward their hut. 

“I don’t know. I think your new girl might get jealous if I do.” 

For the next few days, Sam couldn’t leave the owl alone. No matter where he went or what he was doing the owl was there. After the first two days it would let Skye hold and pet it so long as Sam was there and later would let Lily carry it when they walked along the beach. But Sam always had to be within sight of the bird.  

********** 

July 30, 2004 

As the days passed, Lily continued to think about the invitation, who sent it, and how it had been delivered here, to her, for clearly the owl had landed at her feet and not Sam’s. Walking into the hut, she retrieved the letter, and exited the hut. Sitting down beneath the tree by the pool, she re-read it. Weasley, what was it about that name she wondered as a chill washed over her body.  

Getting up quickly, Lily walked to the edge of the lush forest, and seeking out a small purple flower, she picked it, careful not to crush its delicate petals. Skye had picked some for her once and her hands had stayed purple for day’s afterwards. Placing the flower in a coconut shell she crushed the flower into a paste with a rock and mixed in some water until she had an inklike consistency. She then pulled a splinter from a piece of wood lying near the fire, and dipping it into the ink, carefully began to write. 

When Sam and Skye returned from foraging in the forest, arms laden with bananas, papaya, and some of the sour lemon-like fruit Sam liked, she approached him. 

“Sam, do you think the owl would take a message back to whoever sent it out in the first place?” 

Giving her a strange look, he shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. It might if it’s been trained to deliver letters. Why?” 

“Because I’ve been thinking a lot about the invitation it brought here. Why here? Why did it land at my feet and not yours since it clearly likes you best? Who’s Hermione Granger-Weasley and why does a chill run up my spine at the name Weasley?”  

“I don’t know love, but the names bother me too, like I’ve heard them before or something.” 

“That’s it. Its like I’ve heard them before.” 

“So why did you ask about the owl?” 

Handing him the paper, she said, “Because I’ve written a reply and want to send it.” 

Sam opened the letter and read;   

_Dear Hermione Granger-Weasley,_

_I don’t know who you are or why your owl brought me your invitation. But seeing as you’re the first contact we’ve had in years, I’ve wondered about you and where you are. The name Weasley caused a chill to run up my spine when I read it. Perhaps I heard it long ago somewhere and Sam felt he too might have heard Granger and Weasley long ago._

_Your owl seems to like Sam very much and for the first few days after it arrived wouldn’t let him out of her sight. It is a girl isn’t it? It’s very beautiful by the way. Only now will she let our daughter or I hold her, but only if Sam is in sight._

_I don’t know if I’ll ever hear from you or anyone else again, but it was nice to know that someone is out there somewhere._

_Yours,_

_Lily_

Looking up, Sam noticed the tears running down Lily’s cheek. Gathering her in his arms he heard her whisper, “You don’t think I’m foolish Sam. Do you? I love being here with you and Skye. You know that don’t you? I wouldn’t trade our life for anything but I can’t remember anything from before we woke up here and now that letter has me wondering where we came from. Am I being silly?” 

Cupping her chin, he raised her head up and kissed her lightly on the forehead before resting his head against hers. “No I don’t think you’re being foolish or silly, love. We’ve been here a long time haven’t we? It’s only natural for you to wonder about how we got here, especially after receiving this. Of course we’ll try to send your reply. Who knows, we might even get an answer someday.” 

Releasing her he stepped back and reaching up wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Now let’s see if the owl will take this shall we?” 

Lily smiled as she wrapped her arm around Sam’s waist. She loved him so much. She couldn’t imagine her life without him and Skye in it. 

Reaching where the owl was perched in a small tree by the pool, Sam folded the letter, and cutting a strip from the ribbon made from one of their old ties that Lily used to tie her hair back, he fastened the letter to the owl’s leg.  

Finished he reached out and rubbed the birds neck softly, “Hello girl, think you can take this back to Hermione Granger-Weasley for us?” The owl hooted softly as she swiveled her head to look at them. “Lily and I would really appreciate it if you did,” he said as he continued to rub and scratch the bird’s neck gently. Giving him a long look, the owl ruffled it’s feathers, and with a final hoot, took of into the sky. Circling them once, it set out in a straight line to the east, quickly vanishing from sight. 

“I wonder if we’ll ever see her again.” Lily said softly. 

********** 

August 16, 2004 

Hermione was making breakfast when she heard the tapping against the window. Looking up, she dropped the skillet of bacon she was frying up to the floor when she caught sight of the snowy white owl slumped on the window sill. Rushing over she threw open the window, “Hedwig! Your back!” she cried, pulling the weak and ragged looking owl in. “What happened to you, you poor thing?” she whispered softly as she sat the weary bird on the table. Leaning down she snatched some of the fallen bacon off the floor and placed it on the table in front of the owl. She then rushed to fill a bowl with water. “Here you go. You must be starving, girl.” She said as she watched the tired owl wolf down the bacon.  

Only after Hermione had feed the poor owl more of the spilt bacon did she notice the letter tied to Hedwig’s foot. Thinking it must be the invitation Ginny had tied to the owl’s leg she reached forward to remove it. Her hands froze when she saw what the letter was tied with. She knew those colors well. She’d worn them for seven years and was not likely to ever forget them. She almost reverently untied the crimson and gold ribbon from Hedwig’s leg. Studying it closely she murmured, “Hedwig, where on earth did you get this?” 

Unrolling the letter she saw that it was indeed the invitation her daughter had sent. She was about to set it down when the purple writing caught her eye as she crumpled it. Opening it, she read it quickly. Her breath caught in her throat as she studied the writing. _It can’t be_ she thought to herself. _She’s dead. She and Harry are dead._ Running into her bedroom, Hermione reached under the bed and pulled out her old school trunk. Opening it, she searched frantically through it. Near the bottom she found a small stack of letters bound together with a gold ribbon.  

Untying the ribbon, Hermione opened one of the letters, and holding it next to the letter from Hedwig, compared the writing. Even though the purple writing was crude, Hermione was positive it was Ginny’s. Sitting back in disbelief, she continued to stare at the two letters clutched in her hands.  

When Ron came out of the bathroom, he found his wife sitting on the floor crying softly, her school trunk in front of her, it’s contents flung about the room. 

Crossing the room swiftly, he knelt down behind her and wrapped her in his arms, “What’s wrong love? Why are you crying?” 

Leaning back against him, she held up the two letters, “She’s alive, Ron. Ginny and Harry. They’re alive.” 

“What are you saying, Hermione? Ginny’s dead. So’s Harry. We were there, remember?” 

“Yes, Ron I remember, I also remember that we didn’t find their bodies either. Not even a trace of them. Remember that, Ron.” Holding up the letter from Hedwig, she continued, “Hedwig came back this morning with this, Ron. It’s a letter from Ginny. She’s alive and so is Harry. And what’s more, they have a daughter.” 

Yanking the letter from her Ron read it quickly.  “Hermione this person doesn’t even know who you are and their names are Lily and Sam. This isn’t from Ginny. She’s dead.” 

“No! She isn’t. Read it again, Ron. Read it closely.” 

Humoring her, Ron read the letter again. “Like I said, she doesn’t know you,” he said putting the letter down on the floor. 

Grabbing it up, Hermione pointed at it, “Here, Ron. Right here it says that Hedwig brought the invitation to her. Ron, Hedwig brought it to Ginny, just as she was supposed too. And here, it says that Hedwig wouldn’t leave Sam. Not for a minute. You know Hedwig. She hasn’t paid any attention to anyone since Harry’s been gone. Would she act that way now with anyone but Harry? Would she, Ron? And here, it says that they are alone and haven’t had contact with anyone in years.” Seeing Ron looking at her like she’d gone round the bend, she held up the other letter she’d been holding. “If you still don’t believe me then look at the writing,” she demanded, “it’s Ginny’s handwriting,” she said thrusting the letters at him. 

Taking the letters from her, Ron compared the two. Hermione watched as his brow furrowed and a look of doubt began forming on his face. She knew he believed her when he slowly slumped to floor burying his head in his hands. She started crying again when his body started to shake and she rushed to hold him in her arms. 

“All these years,” he whispered brokenly, “and I never even thought to look for her. What kind of a brother am I that I didn’t even look for her?” 

“It’s okay, Ron. It’s okay, love,” she murmured softly to him. “We all thought she was gone. It’s okay.” 

“Mummy, why are you and Daddy crying?” Ginny asked as she walked hesitatingly into her parents’ room.  

Seeing the worried look on her little girl’s face, Hermione smiled crookedly at her, “Its okay, baby.  Daddy and Mummy were just sad for a minute. Why don’t you go into the kitchen and we’ll be there in a bit.” 

“Okay, Mummy,” the little girl said as she turned and left the room.  

Beside her, Ron spoke up, “We need to go tell Mum and Dad. We need to find her, Hermione. All these years they’ve been alone and we never even looked for them. We need to find her now. I can’t leave her out there somewhere, not now.” 

Helping him stand up, she put her arm around him, “We’ll find them, Ron. Never doubt that, we will find them,” she said as they made their way to the kitchen. 

Hermione shouted, “STOP! Don’t open the window!” as she entered the kitchen, her cry scaring Ginny so badly that the girl broke down in tears.  

Rushing over Hermione lifted her off the cabinet she’d been kneeling on, “Shhh, don’t cry baby Mummy’s sorry she yelled at you. I just didn’t want you letting Hedwig out right now, that’s all. She just came back from a very long trip and needs to rest first, okay?”  

Ron was intent on watching Hedwig who was tapping vigorously on the window and hooting pitifully as she tried to get out. Running into the living room, he picked up the owl’s cage, and returning to the kitchen tried to get her into it. He cursed loudly when she bit him soundly on the finger as he managed to stuff her into the cage and lock the door. 

“Bloody bird, what’s with you anyway?” he asked as he sucked on his bitten finger.  “Just calm down. We’ll let you go when you’ve had a chance to rest up a bit. I want you in top shape so you can show us where Ginny and Harry are.” 

As he talked, Hedwig started to calm, almost as if she knew what he was saying. By the time he’d finished talking, she was quiet and looking at him with her head cocked to one side.  

“There, that’s better. You just sit there and rest up a bit. We’ll go get Harry soon, I promise.” 

Hermione, having succeeded in calming her crying daughter, told Ginny and her brother that they were going to go see Grammy, and taking Freddy by the hand, left to get them dressed.  

**********

Arriving at the Burrow, they followed the voices coming from the kitchen. Seated at the table were Ron’s parents along with George, Luna, Percy, and Penny. Charlie, Percy’s son was busy playing with his little brother and George’s daughter. 

Molly, seeing them said, “Sit down, you’re just in time for breakfast.” 

Pulling out his old chair, Ron sat, Hermione taking the chair next to him. “Mum, you’d better sit down. I have something to show you and Dad,” he said. 

Molly turned, and seeing the serious look on Ron’s face, walked slowly over to the table. “What is it Ron. What’s happened now?” 

“Please, Mum. Sit down first.” 

The table was silent as Molly sat down next to her husband. “Ron, you’re starting to scare me. Please, tell me what’s wrong.” 

Pulling the letters out of his pocket, he held out the one Hedwig had brought. “I need you and Dad to read this and tell me what you think,” he said. 

Molly’s hand shook as she took the letter from him. Placing it so that she and Arthur could both read it she started reading. Almost immediately her head snapped up. “Where did you get this?” she demanded. “Is this some kind of a joke? Because if it is, it’s not funny.” 

“No, Mum, it’s not a joke. Hedwig delivered it this morning.” Reaching back into his pocket he pulled out the ribbon it had been tied on with. Placing it on the table in front of his mother he said, “It was tied on with this.” 

Molly’s face went ashen as she looked down at the small piece of crimson and gold ribbon. “Ginny,” she whispered, “The letter is from Ginny, isn’t it?” Her eyes locked on Hermione’s. “You knew. From the writing you knew, didn’t you?” 

Placing the old letter of Ginny’s on the table, Hermione nodded her head. “I found an old letter of hers just to be sure, but yes, I knew it the minute I saw the writing.” 

“Arthur, please read it out loud. I didn’t read all of it,” Molly asked quietly.  

The room was silent as Arthur read the letter. When he’d finished he passed it to Molly who looked eagerly at it before passing it on to George, who was half out of his chair trying to see it.  

Reading it, he passed it to his wife. Luna took one look at it, “Yes. It’s from Ginny and she has a daughter. Good for her,” she said passing the letter to Percy.  

Percy, too, only had to look at it once before saying. “Your right Mum. It’s definitely Ginny’s handwriting.”  

Arthur, who’d been sitting quietly, spoke up, “Ron, where’s Hedwig now?” 

“She was trying to get outside so I locked her up in her cage. Bloody bird bit me,” he added holding out his bruised finger. 

“Good. That’s good. We’ll need her help to find them.” Arthur seemed lost in thought, his eyes vacant as they stared out into the room.  

With a start, his eyes snapped back into focus and he began issuing orders, “Ron, go fetch Remus. Percy, you go to Bill’s, and George, you need to start making arrangements for someone to help Luna and Hermione at the shops. Hermione, how long from the time Hedwig left until she returned?”  

“Almost two months to the day and I’m not staying here. I’m going with you, so George, you’ll need to find someone to run the shop in Hogsmeade too.” 

Arthur looked at his daughter-in-law. Seeing the fierce look she was giving him he turned to George, “Got that George. You’ll need someone to help out for an extended length of time. Now off with the lot of you.”  

When the boys had left, Molly turned to Arthur, “I’m going too, Arthur.” Her voice was soft but her eyes were hard as she spoke. 

“Now, Molly who’s going to watch the twins and Liora if you go?” 

“Penny and Luna will pack what they need, as will Fleur, and bring the children here.  All of them will stay here until we get back. Hermione can pack up what the twins will need and bring them here also.” Turning to face her husband, Molly said, “Satisfied?” 

Knowing he was beat, Arthur just nodded to her.  

By lunchtime the Burrow was overflowing with people as preparations for the rescue were being made. Remus had read the letter at least three times, being completely stunned by the news.  

When all the plans were made and after everyone had eaten, Arthur stood up. “I think we’ve done all we can for now. Make sure that you use the next few days to pack everything you might need. You all know when we’ll be leaving so go home, pack up, and get as much rest as you can. Be back here on time ready to go. 

********** 

“She’s definitely better than me,” Sam said as he watched his daughter moving a large rock around with her mother’s wand.  

“Me too,” Lily said standing beside him. 

“How can she be that good and us that bad? All she seems to do is wish it and it happens. She doesn’t even think about it, she just does it.” 

Lily gave a cry of glee, and grabbing him, kissed him soundly, “That’s it, Sam. She just does it. She doesn’t think about what she’s going to do.” Seeing his confused look she continued, “Don’t you get it? We think about what we’re trying to do. She doesn’t. We wonder if we can do it. She doesn’t. We have doubts. She doesn’t. She believes in magic. We know that magic works, but we still have doubts, we don’t truly believe in it like she does. Get it?” 

The confusion on Sam’s face cleared as what she was saying seeped in. Kissing her back, he picked her up and swung her around in a circle before setting her back down, “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. Why didn’t we see it before now?” 

********** 

August 23, 2004 

Standing in front of the crowd gathered in front of the Burrow, Arthur asked, “All right everyone ready?” Receiving nods and replies of yes, he continued, “I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, so make sure you have everything. We’re going to have to fly in order to follow Hedwig and it’s probably going to be a long one. Whatever happens, don’t let her out of your sight. If we loose her we’ll never find them. George has given her a potion that will cause her to glow a bright green at night so hopefully that won’t happen. If we’re lucky we can stop and rest once in a while and, if necessary, we can stun Hedwig and lock her up until we’re ready to go on. Bill has made a Portkey for each of you that’s going that will bring you back here. They are to be used if you become sick or injured and can’t go on. He’s also made a few spares, just as a precaution. Once we find Ginny and Harry we’ll use the Portkeys for our return. Molly has packed a medical bag so if you need anything, see her. That’s it. Everyone say your goodbyes. We leave in five minutes.” 

Five minutes to the dot, Arthur nodded to Ron. Opening Hedwig’s cage, Ron said, “Okay girl take us to Ginny and Harry and try not to loose us, please.” 

Cocking her head, Hedwig hooted at him before unfurling her wings and leaping into the sky, circling above them. 

Giving a push off the ground Arthur, with Molly close beside him, set off. Next off were Remus and Tonks followed by Hermione and Ron, then Bill, Percy, and George. 

The rescue party was away. 

********** 

Lily and Skye were playing a new game. They each had a wand in their hand; Skye was using her Daddy’s, and were trying to see who could keep a small rock suspended in the air the longest. So far Skye was ahead two to one. After Lily’s revelation about Skye, both Lily’s and Sam’s abilities with magic had grown considerably but Skye was still noticeably better. It seemed she was a natural when it came to magic. 

Lily groaned as her rock fell to the ground. As it hit Skye’s gleeful voice rang out, “I win, Mummy. Daddy, I won. It’s your turn to play now.” 

Sam laughed as he walked over to the two girls, “She beat you again did she?” 

“I’d like to see you do better, smarty,” Lily replied. 

Holding his hands up in mock fright he said, “Oh No! I know who the best is. Never challenge the champ. Isn’t that right, Princess?” 

Skye giggled as she nodded her head. 

********** 


	8. Chapter 8: First Contact

  
Author's notes: Sorry for the delay. I hope to have the next chapters out soon. Enjoy.  


* * *

Chapter Eight: First Contact 

September 14, 2004 

Ron had lost track of how many days they’d been flying. Brooms weren’t fast and they definitely weren’t comfortable for long flights. They’d flown north from the Burrow, making stops in both Scotland and Ireland, and then turned west, flying out over the ocean. Talk about cold. They’d spent a night on a place called Iceland, and Ron readily agreed with the name. After that, three days were lost when they were forced to seek shelter from a raging snowstorm in a place called Greenland. Somebody had a strange since of humor, naming that miserable place Greenland. Their next stop had been in Canada, according to Remus.  

They’d had to go slowly from then on to keep from being seen by Muggles, flying mostly at night. Surprisingly, Hedwig seemed to know what was going on and never once flew out of their sight, even stopping when they indicated that they were going to rest. Their path, always to the west, took on a southward drift as they went.  

Because they were forced to fly at night, Ron didn’t get to see much of what they flew over. He knew that they had to skirt some really big cities and flew over some really empty places, too, but that was about it. Over all the flight was totally boring and Ron had to fight to keep from falling asleep and sliding off his broom. 

For the last three days now they’d been flying over water, stopping on the scattered islands they came across to rest. As Hedwig began to drop lower, Ron looked down to see another small island in the distance. From the clouds around it Ron figured it was raining. 

By the time they reached the island the rain had stopped. Hedwig, who was just as tired as they were, barley managed to reach the shore before falling to the sand. Ron, landing beside her, picked her up and carried her to the shade of the forest where he placed her on a small tree branch to rest.  

After everyone had rested and had something to eat, Ron knelt in front of Hedwig,   ”All right girl, ready to go again?” When the bird didn’t take off like she usually did, Ron picked her up and tossed her into the air, “Go on you stupid bird, take us to Ginny and Harry.” 

Everyone was just about to take off when Hedwig flew back over them and disappeared into the forest. “Bloody Hell! What’s that stupid bird doing? She just ate so why’s she going hunting now?” Ron exclaimed loudly. 

“Ron, watch you mouth.” Molly’s voice said. 

“We’re here! Don’t you see? This is where they are.” Hermione’s excited voice rang out. “That’s why Hedwig flew into the forest. She went to find Harry.” 

Her outburst caused everyone to quiet down until George’s voice broke the stillness, “About bloody time, my arse is killing me!” 

“George Fabian Weasley, you watch your mouth, young man,” Molly said as she rounded on him, “I won’t have you or your brother talking like that.” 

“Hermione’s right,” Remus called out, “this must be where they are. Why don’t we split up into two parties and see if we can find them?” 

“Good idea, Remus,” Arthur said. “Why don’t you take Tonks, Bill, and Percy and go right. I’ll take the rest and we’ll go to the left.” He said gesturing down each side of the islands point from where they stood. “Whoever finds them will send up a signal, okay?” Dividing up into their groups, they set off up the beaches. 

**********

It had been raining hard for two days. Inside the hut, Sam sat beside Lily, wiping her forehead with a damp cloth. She was sick. For the past four days she’d done nothing but throw up. The only thing she’d been able to keep down was a little water and some small bites of banana which they’d ran out of last night. 

Lily was wearing her old black robe with the Hogwarts emblem on it and she was still cold even with the fire burning near her. Seeing the concern in Sam’s eyes, she took his hand, squeezing it she said, “Sam, I’m okay. Just a little under the weather. That’s normal when you’re pregnant. You know that.” 

“No, Lily, I don’t. You weren’t this sick with Skye. Something’s wrong.” 

“This one’s probably a boy. That’s why it’s causing all this trouble.” 

“It’s no joke, Lily. You’re sick.” 

Managing a weak smile, she replied, “I know, love. I just don’t want you to worry so much. I’ll be fine. I promise.”  

Stroking her hair softly he said, “I love you Lily. You’re my world.” 

“I love you too, Sam.” 

Hearing the rain let up, he straightened up. “It’s stopping. How about I go get you some more bananas. You need to keep eating, love.” 

“Can I go too, Daddy?” Skye’s small voice asked. 

“You need to stay here and look after Mummy, Princess.” 

“Sam, let her go. She’s been cooped up in here too long. I’ll be okay, besides you won’t be gone that long will you?” 

“No more than ten minutes, fifteen at the most.” 

“Hurry back then.” 

Lily lay there after Sam and Skye left. Her stomach rolling queasily. Feeling like she was going to throw up again, she struggled to her feet and shuffled over to the door. She refused to be sick inside the hut. Exiting the hut she was confronted by a large strange figure dressed in black. She screamed as he grabbed her.  

Sam dropped the bananas he carried at Lily’s scream. Telling Skye to stay put he ran for the hut. Breaking out of the forest, he saw Lily struggling with a man dressed in black. Without breaking stride, he grabbed a piece of wood stacked by the hut and brought it down full force on the arm of the man holding Lily.  

Lily fell limply to the wet ground when the stranger released her with a cry of pain as the club hit. Sam quickly placed himself between her and the black stranger, the club held high and ready to strike. 

“STOP IT!”  A woman’s voice rang out. “Ron, what were you thinking grabbing her like that? It’s a wonder he didn’t bash your brains out and he still might if you don’t back away.” 

Sam glanced to his left and saw four more black clad figures walking towards them, two men and two women. 

“Stop where you are. Don’t come any closer,” Sam called to them. 

“We’re not here to harm you,” the younger woman’s voice said. “My name’s Hermione Granger-Weasley. You’re Sam, aren’t you? And she’s Lily. She sent me a letter, remember?” Hermione said as she looked at the bearded longhaired man standing over the woman lying at his feet.  

He was dressed in a pair of badly worn cutoffs that had more holes than cloth and nothing else. His body tanned and firm. His hair fell to his shoulders and his beard, while not full by any means, gave him the appearance of a savage caveman, especially with the club he held. It was the eyes that convinced Hermione it was really Harry, for his bright green eyes were blazing as he looked at her through his bent and crooked glasses. 

“You do remember her sending me the letter?” Hermione continued. 

“I remember it. But that still doesn’t tell me why you’re here and why he attacked Lily.” 

“He’s my husband, Ron, and he wasn’t attacking her.” 

“It didn’t look that way to me. She was fighting to get away and he wouldn’t let her go.” 

Noticing that the woman at his feet still hadn’t moved, Hermione asked, “Is she all right? She hasn’t moved since she fell.” 

Sam glanced down and seeing that Lily’s eyes were closed, dropped down beside her, never taking his eyes off the dark strangers. Shaking her gently he called, “Lily, are you okay? Lily, wake up. Answer me, Lily.” 

Sensing motion, Sam leaped to his feet, the club held high once more. “I said stay back.” 

“Please, let me help,” the older woman said, ‘I’ve brought a medical bag with me and she needs help.” 

Sam shuffled his feet nervously as he looked at the older woman. She was right, Lily did need help but he still didn’t trust them. Hearing Lily groan, he looked down at her small form. She needed help and if this woman could help her then so be it. “All right. But just you. Everyone else stays back.” 

“Let me help, too,” the younger woman said stepping forward, “My husband is the one who caused her to fall. Let me help her to make it right.” 

Sam knew he couldn’t carry Lily and watch the men at the same time. “Okay, but only if you can promise that they will stay where they are,” he said pointing to the men. 

“They’ll stay if they know what’s good for them,” the older woman said. “I can promise you that,” she said turning to glare at the men. 

“All right. Come on then.” 

The two women made their way over quickly, dropping to their knees beside Lily’s still form. Sam heard a sharp intake of breath from the older woman as she looked down at Lily.  

Molly felt her heart clinch as she looked down at the young woman lying before her. It was Ginny. She’d known it would be after seeing Harry but seeing her and being able to touch her made it real.  

Placing her hand on Lily’s forehead, the older woman exclaimed, “Oh, she’s burning with fever. Let’s get her inside quickly.” 

The younger woman held the door open as Sam picked Lily up and carried her inside. He heard the older woman say, “You lot stay away until I call you. I’ll hex the first one that doesn’t listen,” before she too entered the hut. 

Coming over to where Lily lay on their sleeping mat, the older woman dropped down beside her and started undoing the clasps on Lily’s robe. “We need to get her out of this wet robe and into something dry and warm.”  

She stopped, a look of shock on her face when she pulled open the robe reviling Lily’s tanned naked body. “Oh, my! Where are her clothes?” She asked, quickly closing the robe over her daughters’ naked body. 

“She’s wearing them,” Sam replied. “And if it wasn’t the rainy season she wouldn’t be wearing it at all and I wouldn’t be wearing these,” he said pointing to the worn cutoffs he wore. 

Both women were staring open mouthed at him.  

The silence in the hut was broken when a small voice from the back part of the hut asked, “Daddy, what’s wrong with Mummy and who are they?” 

“Skye! I told you to stay put until I called you.” 

“I know Daddy, but I was scared. Is Mummy alright?” Skye asked as she came over and crawled up into his lap. Once settled she looked intently at the two strange women. 

Molly’s throat tightened at the sight of the little red headed girl with the bright green eyes. She knew that the letter had said Ginny had a daughter, but actually seeing her was another matter all together.  

Her granddaughter had a piece of black cloth wrapped around her middle with a shawl of the same material over her small shoulders and from what Molly could tell the rest of her was just as tanned as Ginny and Harry. 

“I thought you were going to take that wet robe off of her.” Molly snapped out of the trance she’d been in at Sam’s voice. 

“But she’s….” Molly started to say before Sam interrupted her. 

“I know, she’s cold, but she’s colder with that wet robe on than she’ll be with it off.” Pointing behind the younger women, he continued, “There are some rags in the corner you can dry her off with.” His eyes blazed as he looked from Molly to his daughter and back. “Skye, you’re wet too, get me a rag so we can take those wet things off you and get you dried off too.” 

Molly stared, as the little girl climbed out of Harry’s lap and ran to the corner leaving the scraps of black cloth behind her. She’d been right. Her granddaughter’s body was just as tanned as her mother’s.  

Returning with a white rag in her hand, the naked little girl held it out, “Here, Daddy.” 

Sam took the rag and shook it out and with a flourish threw it over his daughter’s head and proceeded to rub her damp hair, sneaking in tickles that caused Skye to giggle, as he did. Finished with her hair, Sam dried the rest of her off.  

Once she was dry, Skye started to climb back into her daddy’s lap. Stopping she said, “Daddy your wet too. You need to dry off.”  She reached down and picked up the rag holding it out to him.  

Taking the rag from her he said, “I know Princess, but I need to get Mummy dry first.” 

Moving the older woman out of the way, Sam removed the wet robe from Lily, and using the rag began to rub her cold naked body vigorously. He was surprised when the younger woman, rag in hand, assisted in drying Lily off.  

When they were finished the older woman handed Sam two blankets she’d pulled out of a large bag sitting beside her. “Cover her up with these while I get her something for the fever.” 

He knew that neither of the women had carried a bag into the hut and couldn’t figure out where she had gotten it. His question was answered when the woman reached into a pocket and pulled out a tiny bag. Placing it on the floor, she pulled a wand from her sleeve and tapped the bag saying, “Engorgio”, causing the bag to grow.  

Opening the bag, the woman removed a large glass jar and a cup. Opening the jar and pouring some of the liquid from it into the cup she looked up and said, “I need you to hold her up so she can drink this. It will help with the fever and make her warmer.” 

“She’s pregnant. It won’t hurt her or the baby will it?” Sam asked. 

There was a sharp intake of breath from the young woman beside him but Sam kept his gaze locked on the older woman. She too had sucked in a deep breath of air at his words.  

He watched as she composed herself before speaking, “No, it won’t hurt her or the baby.” 

Lifting Lily up, Sam held her while the older woman got Lily to drink the liquid from the cup pressed to her lips. Sam noticed Skye shivering as she sat on her stool as he was lying Lily back down on the mat. “Skye, I need you to help warm Mummy up.” When the shivering little girl reached his side, he held open the blankets covering Lily. “In you go, Princess.” Once Skye was in he covered them both over with the warm blankets, smiling as Skye snuggled into her mother.  

Sam watched as Lily’s breathing evened and her fever-etched face smoothed out. He smiled again when she turned onto her side, wrapping her arm around Skye and pulling her close. In no time both mother and daughter were sleeping peacefully.  

Turning to the two women, Sam said, “You might find our not wearing clothes shocking, but when you don’t have them to wear, its how you have to live. It’s natural for us now. It’s been this way all of Sykes’ life.” Receiving hesitant nods from both women, he continued, “All right then, why don’t you start off by telling me who you are.” 

The two women looked at each other then, by some unspoken understanding, the older, red-haired woman spoke, “My name is Molly Weasley and I’m Lily’s mother.” Molly started to grow nervous when Sam just sat there looking at her intently.  

Just as she was about to speak, he said, “Maybe? Maybe around the eyes.” 

“Her real name’s Ginevra but everyone calls her Ginny. She’s my youngest child and my only daughter,” she replied pulling a picture out of one of her bags and holding it out to him. 

“Ginny. Ginny,” Sam said softly as he looked down at the moving picture of a young Lily standing beside another girl and a redheaded boy. In the picture they were all waving and smiling at someone. As he continued to stare at the picture, he realized that the other girl was a younger version of the woman calling herself Hermione. “It suits her, but I’ve only known her as Lily.”  

“You knew her for seven years as Ginny.”  

“So you know who I am too?” 

“Yes, you’re like a son to me. You used to spend most of your time at our home. Your name is Harry. Harry Potter.” 

Sam laughed as he ran his fingers through his long hair and then tugged on his beard, “Well the name certainly suits me now, doesn’t it?” 

His remark caused what sounded like a choked off laugh to come from the younger, bushy brown haired woman. Turning to her he saw her holding her hand in front of her mouth trying to conceal the grin on her face. 

Looking back at Molly, he said, “You know just because you’ve shown me one picture with Lily in it doesn’t mean you are who you say you are or that I’m going to trust you.” 

“I wouldn’t expect you to, Sam,” said Molly, “I have more pictures in our baggage. You and Lily can look at them later if it will help.” 

“All right,” Sam said as he turned to face Hermione, “Your turn, tell me who you are, and I suppose you know me too?” Sam asked. 

“My name is Hermione Granger-Weasley. And yes, I know you. We met on the train to Hogwarts our first year. You are my best friend, Harry, and the brother I never had.” 

“Are you a cousin of Lily’s?” 

“What? Oh! No, I’m not her cousin. I’m married to her brother, Ron. He’s your best mate. You, Ron, and I met on the train to Hogwarts and we were almost inseparable from then on.” 

“Ron, he’s the one I hit outside?” 

“Yes.” 

“Who else is out there?” 

The older woman, Molly, answered, “Ginny’s father, Arthur, and another of her brothers, George. Although I expect that the others are here by now.” 

“What others?” 

Before Molly could answer a woman’s voice called from outside the hut, “Molly! Hermione! Are you all right? The guys are getting worried out here.” 

“Who’s that?” Sam asked. 

“That’s Tonks; she’s a friend of yours and Ginny’s.” 

“Molly! Answer me. Is everything okay?” the woman called again. 

Molly looked at Harry, and at his nod answered, “Yes Tonks, we’re fine.” 

“Are you sure, Molly? Can I come in?” 

Molly looked at Harry, “You might want to let her come in and check on us. If she thinks something’s wrong she might try something and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” 

“Why would she try something and not the others?” 

“Because she’s an Auror, a person trained to fight those that use dark magic, and the others aren’t.” 

“I guess you better tell her to come in then, wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt now would we.” 

Sam kept his eyes focused on the woman that entered as he noticed the wand she held. Her bright pink hair surprised him and he tried not to let it show.  

After taking a quick look around the hut, her dark bright eyes missing nothing, she stared intently at him for a minute before putting her wand away and breaking out in a wide smile, “Wotcher, Harry. I like you better without the beard, but the hairs good.” 

Sam couldn’t help grinning at her comment. “It does go with the name, though, doesn’t it?” 

The woman laughed at his remark, “Yep, your definitely hairy all right.” 

Hermione couldn’t help herself as she snorted while trying not to laugh at Tonks comment. Her efforts caused first Sam and then Molly to break out in laughter which Hermione soon joined. 

When everyone had quieted down, Tonks, her face becoming serious as she looked down at Lily and Skye, asked, “How’s Ginny? Arthur said she was sick and he’s worried about her.” 

Reaching over, Molly ran her hand lovingly over Ginny’s hair, “She’s resting fine now that the fever has broken.” 

“Well I’d better get back before one of them does something stupid. Hermione, you might want to go and calm Ron down. He’s driving everyone nuts out there.” 

“Would you tell Lily’s father that he can come in if he’d like,” Sam said. 

“Lily? Oh!... Right, sure I’ll tell him. By the way Harry, your daughter is beautiful,” the woman, Tonks, said as she turned to exit the hut.  

“I guess I’d better go and see about Ron. He can be such a git.” Hermione said getting up. “I’ll see you later, Harry.” 

“Thank you for letting Arthur come in. I’m sure he’s been worrying himself sick out there. Ginny was always a daddy’s girl.” Molly said. 

“If he’s her father he has a right to see her. Even if neither of us remembers who you are.” 

“You don’t remember anything about us do you?” 

“No, nothing from before we woke up on the beach here.” Sam, a puzzled look on his face, asked, “Why are you here now? How come we’ve been alone for so long?” 

His questions caused a tear to run down Molly’s cheek. Before she could answer, the door opened and a thin man with sparse red hair and glasses entered. 

Stopping just inside the door, he looked around, his eyes locking on Lily’s sleeping form. “Is she all right, Molly?” he asked as he sat down beside his wife and daughter.  

“She’s fine Arthur, just a slight fever.” Molly answered as she watched her husband gently stroke his daughter’s hair. 

Bending down to kiss Ginny’s cheek, Arthur caught sight of a small head tucked under Ginny’s chin. Leaning over he gently pulled the blanket away from Skye’s sleeping face. “She beautiful,” he said looking up at Molly. 

Noticing that Sam was watching him closely, Arthur lowered the blanket and sat back. “Hello, son. You don’t remember me do you?” 

“No sir, I don’t” 

“I want to thank you for taking care of my little girl for me. Although she’s not so little anymore, is she.” 

“No sir, she’s not.” 

“Do you think she’s ready to go home?” 

Sam stiffened. ”This is her home, with Skye and me. We’re happy here.” 

Seeing the challenging look and blazing green eyes, Arthur held up his hands, “Harry, I wasn’t suggesting we were going to take her away from you or anywhere against her will. I was just hoping that you both might want to come back with us.” 

“Why should we? You’ve left us alone for a long time, why are we so important now?” 

Arthur’s face drained of color at Sam’s harsh words. Molly reached over and gripped his hand tightly. Turning to face Sam she whispered, “Because we thought you were both dead. All these years we thought you were dead.”  

“How many years and why would you think we were dead? And if you thought we were dead then how did we get here?” 

“Harry,” Arthur’s shaky voice said, “We thought you’d both been killed by the blast caused when you killed Voldemort almost six and a half years ago. After the battle, we couldn’t find your bodies and assumed the blast had disintegrated them. We had no idea you were alive, here on this island. Not until your owl brought Ginny’s letter to Hermione.” 

Sam had a stunned look on his face as he softly mumbled, “Over six years….” Snapping back into focus he said, “Wait a minute, my owl, I don’t have an owl.  A battle? And just what army were we supposed to be fighting?   

“Yes, your owl, Hedwig, the white owl, belongs to you. You ended the war with the Dark Lords forces, Harry, by killing their leader. You saved us all. There’s even a monument in your honor.” 

Sam was so stunned he could only sit and shake his head as he tried to process what he’d just heard. 

“It’s true, Harry,” Molly’s soft voice said, “all of it.” 

Unable to take it all in, Sam jumped up, “Stop calling me Harry! My name’s Sam! I don’t remember being Harry! I remember being Sam, here, with Lily and Skye. That’s who I am now,” Sam said as he paced rapidly back and forth his hand pressing against the scar on his forehead. “Please just leave! Leave us alone!” 

“All right son,” Arthur said as he helped Molly up. “We’ll wait outside until you’re ready to talk some more. But we aren’t leaving until we have a chance to talk to our daughter and see our granddaughter.” 

Sam continued to pace after they’d left, his mind a jumble of conflicting thoughts. Throwing his hands up in frustration, he stripped off the wet cutoffs and slid under the covers next to Lily. She jumped away as his cold body came up against her back, but then wiggled back up against him. Putting his arm around her, Sam held her tightly. This was his world and nothing was going to take it away or destroy it. 

********** 


	9. Chapter 9: Invitation to Dinner

Chapter Nine: Invitation to Dinner 

By the time the sun began to set, the clearing had taken on the appearance of an army camp. There were six tents placed around it and a fire was burning brightly in Sam and Lily’s cooking pit, the aroma of something good rising from it.  

Voices could be heard echoing around the small clearing from the group of people sitting in camp chairs nearby. Two women could be seen moving about as they began placing food on a table. Finished, they talked for a minute. When they broke apart one headed over to the group in the camp chairs and the other to the hut by the stream. 

Knocking lightly on the door, and remembering Arthur’s words about Harry wanting to be called Sam, she called, “Sam, it’s me, Hermione. Molly wanted to know if you would like to join us for dinner?” Receiving no answer she started to knock again. Just as her hand touched the door, it opened. 

Hermione’s eyes opened wide in shock. The only man she’d ever seen naked was Ron, yet here Sam stood, his lean body bronzed all over from his head to his toes.  

“Well, are you just going to stand there and stare at me all night or are you going to come in?” Sam asked stepping back from the doorway. 

“I was….I just wanted….” Hermione’s voice trailed off as she pried her eyes away from Sam’s body and edged her way in. Looking down at the floor she managed to get out, “Molly wanted to know if you’d like to join us for dinner.” 

“What, like this. You won’t even look at me. What are they going to do if I walk over like this?” Sam asked, his voice sarcastic. 

Raising her head, Hermione looked at him, trying to keep her eyes from wandering down his body, “Sam, it’s just not something I’m used to. I know that you’re comfortable about it but it makes me a little nervous. This is you’re home, the way you live, but maybe you could humor us and let me find you something to wear until we leave.” 

She watched as Sam went over to sit beside Lily and Skye. “No thanks. That won’t be necessary,” He said as he ran his hand lightly over Lily’s arm. 

He looked down as Lily rolled over, her arm encircling his waist. “Mmmm, Sam, what smells so good?” she mumbled sleepily. Her eyes opening as she raised up to look at him. 

Catching sight of Hermione, she gave a yelp of surprise and sat up quickly, the blanket falling around her waist. Clutching Sam as she hid behind him as she asked, “Who’s that? Where’d she come from?” 

Untangling her arms from around him, Sam pulled Lily around and into his arms, “It’s all right, love,” he told her softly, holding her tight, “it’s all right. This is Hermione Granger-Weasley. You remember that name don’t you.? The one you sent the letter to? Well she’s come to invite us to dinner and she’s brought some people with her.” 

“Someone attacked me, Sam, someone dressed all in black. It happened, right?” 

Shifting uneasily, Hermione cleared her throat, “Sorry about that. That was my husband, Ron. You startled him when you came out. He said you looked like you were about to fall over, so he grabbed you. Then you screamed and started to struggle. Before he could say anything, Sam came and broke his arm with a club to get him to let go of you.” 

“He’s lucky that’s all I broke,” Sam mumbled. 

“He knows, and he wanted me to say he’s sorry about scaring Lily.” 

Realizing that she and Sam were sitting naked on the floor in front of a perfect stranger, Lily reached down, grabbed the blanket and tried to cover them. 

“Lily, what’s this? I don’t want covered, it’s to hot.” 

“Sam, please. We have company.” 

“So what? It’s our hut and I’m hot. You’re not ashamed of us are you? Or the way we live and all?”

Stopping, Lily reached up with both hands, the blanket falling away, and cupped Sam’s face. Pulling him down, she kissed him lovingly. Breaking away she looked into his eyes, “I’ll never be ashamed of us, Sam, or the way we live. I love you.” 

The love radiating off of them was almost tangible, and Hermione was afraid to move least she break the spell surrounding the two people in front of her. She continued to watch as Lily brushed her fingers through Sam’s hair before kissing him once more. Breaking the kiss Lily said softly, “Its bad manners to embarrass company, love, that’s all.” 

Feeling that she should say something, Hermione said, “Its okay, Lily. Sam’s right. This is your home. I’m okay, really I am. Sam and I already discussed this when you were sleeping.”  

Lily looked at her, searching her face intently before relaxing back into Sam’s arms. “I’m glad. It is hot in here. I think that’s probably what woke me up. That and the smell of something wonderful cooking.” 

“Molly’s cooking up a feast to celebrate finding you.” 

“Who’s Molly?  

Hermione looked over at Sam, a questioning look on her face. 

“It’s okay, you might as well go ahead and tell her,” he sighed. 

“Lily, I don’t really know the best way to go about this so I’m just going to say it straight out. Molly is your mother, and my husband, Ron, is your brother. Your father and three more of your brothers are here also along with two friends of yours and Sam’s.” 

Lily’s eyes were the size of saucers and her mouth was hanging open by the time Hermione finished. All she could do was stare back and forth between Sam and Hermione. 

“It’s true, love, about the people that say they’re your parents. I met them earlier, and your brother Ron, it seems.” 

Snapping out of her shock, Lily grabbed Sam, hugging him tightly, “Sam, I have parents, and brothers, and they’re here now.” Jumping up she reached down, pulling Sam up beside her. “Come on, Sam. I want to meet them,” she said as she tried to pull him over to the door. 

“Lily! Calm down. You just got through telling me it‘s bad manners to embarrass your guests. Do you really want to met your parents like this and embarrass them and your brothers?” 

Lily stopped, and looked down at her naked body before taking in Sam’s too. “You’re right, it probably would embarrass them. Where’s my robe? I can wear it and you can wear your cutoffs.” 

“Your robe is still wet from when you fell outside and I don’t know where I threw my cutoffs.” 

“I can borrow something from Percy for you, Sam. You two are about the same size and I’m sure that between Tonks and myself we can find something for Lily and Skye,” Hermione volunteered, having stood up also. 

Lily walked over and taking her hands in hers said, “Do you really think so, Hermione.  I’d like to look nice when I met my parents.” 

“Let me go see what I can come up with, okay? I won’t be gone long,” Hermione said as she left the hut. 

Turning back to Sam, Lily threw herself into his arms, her face shinning with happiness. “Oh, Sam! I’m so excited. I’m going to meet my parents.” 

********** 

Hermione realized as she walked back over to the camp that she’d just spent over half an hour in the presence of two totally naked people and after the first few minutes, it hadn’t bothered her. In fact she hadn’t even thought about it after her talk with Sam until Lily mentioned it. Even then it hadn’t bothered her. It just seemed perfectly natural for them. 

An anxious Molly, and Arthur met her as she entered the camp, Ron standing beside them. “Well? Are they coming?” Molly asked nervously. 

“They’d love to. But they’re afraid they’ll embarrass everyone if they come as they are. I told them I’d try to borrow something from Percy for Sam to wear and that Tonks and I would come up with something for Lily and Skye.” 

“What’s with this bloody Lily and Sam bull? It’s Harry and Ginny we’re talking about. Can’t we just call them by their proper names?” Ron asked indignantly. 

“No, Ron we can’t. Didn’t you listen to your father? They don’t know us. We’re strangers to them and they know each other as Sam and Lily, not Harry and Ginny. So until they say so, or their memory comes back, they’re Sam and Lily. Got it?” Hermione stated hotly. 

“All right! All right! Don’t go getting your knickers in a twist.” 

Hermione glared at Ron, “You can be such a prat Ronald Weasley. I suggest you go and get your shaving kit for me before I do something you’ll regret.”  

Seeing just how angry his wife was, Ron beat a hasty retreat towards their tent.  

Once he was on his way, Hermione turned to Percy, her eyes still blazing, “Percy, do you think you might have something Sam could borrow?” 

Percy withered under her gaze and turning, ran for his tent calling out over his shoulder, “Yes, I think I have just the thing.” 

Bill snickered nearby, “Well I guess we know who wears the pants in your family.” When Hermione turned her fiery eyes to him, Bill gulped, “Sorry Hermione, just kidding.” 

Stomping her foot, Hermione said, “MEN!” before walking over to grab Tonks sleeve, “Come on Tonks, let’s go see what we can find for Lily and Skye.” Tonks looked pleading over her shoulder at an amused Remus as Hermione dragged her away. 

********** 

Not quite fifteen minutes later, Hermione knocked on the hut’s door, her arms laden with clothes and other items, “It’s me, Hermione, can I come in?” “

Hermione, you don’t have to knock,” Lily said as she opened the door and stood back for Hermione to enter. 

“I didn’t want to be rude and just barge on in.” Hermione said as she bent over to place the items on a nearby mat. Straightening up with a hairbrush in one hand and a small case in the other she continued, “I brought you a brush,” she said handing it to Lily, “and I didn’t know if you might like to shave or not so I brought a shaving kit just in case.” She said handing the small case to Sam. 

“Oh, Sam! Please shave,” Lily said giving him a pleading look, “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you without that scraggly mess on your face.” 

“I thought you loved my scraggly face,” Sam said indignantly. 

“No, I love your face, not that scraggly beard on it. Please shave… for me.” She asked giving him a sad puppy eyed look. 

Sam sighed loudly as his shoulders slumped, “No fair, you know I can’t say no when you look at me like that.” 

“Why do you think I do it?” Lily grinned as she started to brush her long hair. 

Muttering under his breath, Sam proceeded to pull shaving items out of the bag. 

Smiling at the two of them, Hermione reached out and took the brush from Lily’s hand, “Stand there and let me brush it out for you. It’s so long you weren’t getting the ends.” 

“Mummm, thank you, Hermione. You have no idea how good this feels,” Lily said as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the brush passing through her hair. 

Finished shaving, Sam turned and watched Hermione brush Lily’s dark red hair. He’d always loved Lily’s hair. It’s color, the way it felt when he ran his hands through it, and the way if fell around them when she leaned over him when they made love. But now, it was even more beautiful. The brushing made it shine in the light of the fire, bringing out its rich color even more, and making it look softer and fuller as it fell around her waist. 

“There that about does it,” Hermione said giving Lily’s hair one more pass before stopping. 

Turning around to thank Hermione, Lily saw Sam, his newly shaved face pale against the rest of him. She laughed with delight as she ran over and threw her arms around him, kissing him passionately.  

When she released him, Sam smiled, “If I’d known you’d kiss me like that I would of found a way to shave much sooner. Even if I had to pull the hairs out one at a time.”  

“All right, that’s enough you two. You have guests waiting.” Hermione piped in. “Here Sam, try these on,” she said handing him boxers and a pair of Percy’s jeans. “And you try these on, they’re Tonks so they should fit,” she continued holding out knickers, a bra, and the other pair of jeans to Lily. 

Taking the jeans, Lily said, “I’ll wear these but there’s no way I’m wearing the rest of that.” 

Hearing her, Sam threw the boxers back to Hermione, “Lily’s right, enough is enough.” 

Hermione was pleased to see that Percy’s jeans fit Sam quite nicely; Lily’s however were a little too loose in the waist and to long in the legs. Kneeling down, Hermione pulled out her wand, and tapping one pant leg and then the other, shortened the jeans to the proper length. “There, that should do it,” she said standing back up. “Do you want me to fix the waist too?” 

“Could you? I’m afraid they might fall off if I let go.” 

Tapping the waistband, Hermione asked. “How’s that?” 

Looking down at herself, Lily grinned, “Perfect.” 

“Now the shirts,” Hermione said holding them out. 

For Lily, there was a deep green short sleeve button blouse, and for Sam a plain black t-shirt. Once they were dressed, Hermione couldn’t help noticing what a fantastic looking couple they made. Lily’s eyes sparkled and she glowed with barely suppressed energy while Sam radiated a quiet power. 

Skye woke up and with a huge yawn stood up, one small fist rubbing her eyes. Seeing her parents, she stopped and stared at them. “Mummy, you look beautiful.” 

Lily knelt down and hugged her daughter, “Thank you, Baby. How about your Daddy, doesn’t he look handsome?”  

Skye stared at Sam, cocking her small head from side to side. She’d never seen her daddy without hair on his face. Struggling out of her mother’s arms, she went over and grabbed his shirt, tugging him down. Once he was kneeling in front of her, she reached out and ran her hands over his face. Then her face serious, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. Turning to her mother with a smile on her face she said, ‘It doesn’t tickle my nose anymore.” Her remark made the three adults laugh. 

“Skye,” Hermione said, “I have something for you to wear too.” Leaning down she picked up a folded piece of cloth. Opening it up she held out a small dress, made from one of Tonks t-shirts, with a moving picture on the front of it and the words ‘Twisted Merlin’ across the back. 

Skye’s eyes grew wide as she watched the people in the picture move. Walking over, she stood in front of Hermione. “It’s for me?” 

“Yes, it is. Would you like to try it on?” 

Unable to speak as she watched the picture, Skye nodded. 

“Alright then, raise your arms up.” Hermione pulled the dress over Skye’s raised arms and down over her head and body. Stepping back she was happy to see that the dress fit.  

“My, don’t you look pretty. Come over here so Mummy can brush your hair,” Lily said. 

Skye looked at her mother with a puzzled look on her face. 

“Come on baby, come here.” 

Skye moved her small head out of the way when Lily raised the brush towards her. 

“Skye, stop moving. I’m not going to hurt you.” Turning, she reached out and pulled Sam closer, “Here, I’ll brush Daddy’s hair first.” When Sam looked like he was going to move too, she whispered softly to him, “Move and you’re dead meat, mister.” He stood absolutely still as she brushed his long shaggy hair. It really did feel good, he thought. 

Finished, Lily knelt down in front of her daughter, “See it doesn’t hurt. Now turn around and I’ll brush yours. 

Everyone dressed and ready to go, Hermione led the way out of the hut. 

********** 

When Skye saw all the people gathered near the fire, she stopped and grabbed her daddy’s leg, hiding behind it. Never having seen so many people before, she was scared.  

Sam reached down and picked his daughter up, “What’s wrong, Princess? Daddy won’t let anyone hurt you,” he told her softly, her face buried against his neck. 

Lily scooted closer to him, threading her arm through his and holding on tight. “I know how she feels; I’m a little scared too.” 

“I won’t let anyone hurt you either, love. You know that,” Sam said as he leaned down to kiss her lightly. “Come on, I’m getting hungry smelling all that food.” 

When they stopped in front of the strangers, Hermione placed her hand gently on Lily’s arm, “Lily, I’d like you to meet your mother, Molly, and your father, Arthur,” she said pointing to Lily’s parents.  

Lily had been so hyped to meet her parents. She thought that she’d immediately know them and remember everything from before. Looking at the man and woman standing in front of her, their faces full of worry and anxiety; she felt tears run down her face, as she remembered nothing. Burying her face in Sam’s shoulder, she brokenly said, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you. I don’t remember anything.” Shutters shook her small body as she wrapped herself in Sam’s warmth. 

The hurt and pain was evident on Molly and Arthur’s faces. Sam watched the feelings running over them as he tried to comfort Lily.  

Composing herself, Molly managed to say, “It’s all right dear. These things take time,” as she struggled not to reach out to her daughter. “Perhaps it would be better if we sat down and ate. Everyone can introduce themselves later.” 

Molly gestured for everyone to take a seat at the heavily laden table that Bill had conjured up. Sam placed Skye in a chair next to Molly and sat down between her and Lily. Hermione immediately took the seat next to Lily.  

The mood at the table was somber as everyone started filling their plates. Sam, wanting to break the tension said, “So who can tell me if I fancied Lily before we got here?” 

“I thought you two were going to make me sick the way you hung all over each other,” the man next to Hermione said, his words bringing a round of snorts, and quiet laughter from those around him. 

“So I take it we were an item then?”

“You could say that.” the man sitting across from him with the scarred face said. “I was all set to have a little talk with you about your intensions toward my sister,” looking from Sam to Skye and back to Lily he said, “Guess I’m a little to late now. My name is Bill by the way I’m Gin… I mean Lily’s oldest brother,” he said holding out his hand.  

“Nice to meet you, Bill.” 

“This is her brother Percy,” Bill continued, placing his hand on the shoulder of the man beside him, “and the git next to him is her brother George. Ron’s the idiot sitting next to Hermione. He’s the one whose arm you broke,” he finished, pointing at the young man sitting at the other end of the table by Hermione with his fork. 

“I’m Tonks,” the pink haired woman sitting next to George said. ”And this is my husband, Remus Lupin.” She leaned against the older man beside her as she introduced him. 

Lily had been sitting quietly beside Sam, her head down, as she listened to the introductions. She squeezed his arm and glanced up when someone mentioned her and Sam hanging all over each other. A small smile crossed her face when Bill said he’d been going to have a talk with Sam.  

Bill, who had been watching his sister closely, saw her smile, and catching his parents’ look, nodded towards Ginny. He grinned at the smiles that lit their faces. 

The tension broken, the mood lightened and soon everyone was talking and laughing as they took turns telling stories about Sam and Lily’s past together while passing around pictures of the two of them and the family. Throughout the dinner, Lily sat quietly, picking at her food as she listened to those around her, her hand clutching Sam’s leg under the table. 

By the time dinner was over, Skye had somehow wormed her way onto Molly’s lap, chatting away about what she did and asking questions about Molly’s home and the food she was eating. Molly’s eyes shown with happiness as she held her granddaughter and she was reluctant to let her go when Sam announced that it was time for them to leave. Receiving a promise from the little girl to come see her in the morning, Molly kissed her on the cheek and told her goodnight. 

Lily had her blouse unbuttoned and half way off before she even entered the hut. Her jeans quickly followed. Running her hands over her arms and down her body, she shivered, “I hate wearing clothes. They’re uncomfortable and they itch,” she complained to Sam as he too shed his clothes.  

“I know what you mean,” Sam said as he walked up behind her, pulling her against him in a tight hug.  

“I like my dress Mummy. Can I wear it to bed?” 

Smiling down at her daughter, Lily said, “No baby, you’ll get all hot and sweaty if you wear it to bed, then you wouldn’t be able to wear it tomorrow. Come on now, off with it and into bed. I heard you tell Molly that you’d go see her first thing in the morning.” 

Later when Skye was asleep, Lily turned to Sam, her kisses hot and passionate as she moved against him. 

********** 


	10. Chapter 10: Leaving the Island

Chapter Ten: Leaving the Island 

September 20, 2004 

Coming out of the hut, Sam was pleased to see Lily sitting by the pool talking with Hermione and Tonks. Tonks was pointing to the giant rubber ducks surrounded by their smaller cousins. She and Hermione laughed at whatever comment Lily made, catching only the word ‘Squishy’. Seeing Molly and Skye come out of Molly’s tent, Hermione called for her to join them.  Soon all four women were talking and laughing together.  

Sam was jerked back to the conversation around him when Arthur asked, “Sam, have you and Lily talked about coming back with us? You’ve been gone so long and we’ve missed you so much.” 

“I’m sorry, Arthur but we haven’t talked about it yet. Lily’s been enjoying herself so much I haven’t wanted to bring it up. How are you planning on returning home? You’re not going to fly are you?” Sam had been fascinated when he learned how they had arrived.  

“No, we’re going to use Portkeys to get us back. They’re so much quicker and easier on these old bones of mine.” 

“What’s a Portkey? How does it work?” 

“This is a Portkey,” said Bill as he lay what looked to be a playing card on the table. “ You can use anything to make one and by using the proper spell it will take you to a certain place once activated. This one will take me straight to the Burrow, my parent’s home.” 

“So if we go with you, we’d use one of these Portkeys too?” 

“Yes, I made some spares, just in case, before we left.” 

“I don’t like the idea of Skye or Lily use one of those things by themselves. What if something went wrong?” 

“Portkeys can take more than one person. You just have to make sure that everyone is touching it before you activate it.” 

“So we can all go together then?” 

“Sure, no problem.” 

“What happens if we want to come back? How do we go about it?” 

“I can make you a Portkey that will bring you back anytime you want.” 

“Make it and I’ll talk to Lily tonight. Better yet, make more than one, just to be sure.” 

That night after Skye was asleep; Sam talked to Lily about leaving the island. After much discussion, and telling her about the Portkeys, Lily agreed to go, making him promise to bring her back home when she asked.  

Lily stood up and wrapping a blanket around her said, “Come on Sam. If this is to be our last night here, then I want to spend it making love to you, on the beach with the wind and the stars.” 

********** 

September 21, 2004 

The next morning, early, wearing their borrowed clothes and Sam carrying a sleepy Skye, they showed up at the cooking pit. The sun was just clearing the horizon and finding no one up, they sat at the table waiting, Hedwig perched on the back of Sam’s chair.  

Roughly twenty minutes later, Molly came out of her tent surprised to find them already up. “Good morning! My, you’re up early. If you’ll just give me a minute I’ll have some tea ready,” she said hurrying over to fetch the teapot from the table. 

“That’s okay Molly. We can wait until we get to your home,” Sam said. 

His words caused Molly to stop in her tracks. Turning slowly towards them she asked almost reverently, “You’re coming home with us?” 

“If the invitation is still open, then yes, we are.” 

Dropping the teapot, Molly hurried toward her tent, calling out happily, “Arthur! Arthur, get up! They’re coming home with us! Lily and Sam are coming home!” 

The next thirty minutes were a whirlwind of activity as Molly and Arthur went around getting everyone up and packed. Seeing Bill walking his way, Sam stood up and went to meet him. “Bill, did you make those Portkeys for me?”  

“Yeah, I did it last night. I was just coming to show them to you.” Bill said as he led Sam over to the ring of still unpacked camp chairs. Once there Bill bent down and picked up four fist sized conch shells and held them out to Sam. “Here you go. I thought the shells were appropriate. I’ll show you how to activate them later, okay. Right now I need to get these chairs packed or mum’s going to have a fit.” 

“You’re sure they’ll work, right? I promised Lily I’d bring her back the minute she wants and I won’t lie to her.  I need to know that these are going to work.” 

“Sam, I promise they’ll work. I’m not lying to you just to get you to go with us. Tell you what. When we get back, you and I will use one to come back here, okay? I have enough spare Portkeys to get us back home after. Will that satisfy you?” 

“Yeah, I guess so.” 

Leaving Bill to pack up, Sam headed back to Lily. She was talking to Hermione when he sat down beside her and her hand immediately latched on to his. Skye was nowhere to be seen but her laughter carried over the clearing.  

********** 

Lily, Skye, and Sam stood in the nearly empty clearing. Only Hermione, Ron, and Bill remained, the rest having already departed. Hermione was talking softly to Lily who had a scared look on her face. Lily was holding Sam’s arm so tightly, his fingers felt like they were going numb. “Lily, I promise it’s safe. You’ll feel a slight pull in your stomach and then it will be black for a bit. Next thing you know you’ll be at the Burrow. I’ll go first and I’ll be waiting for you when you get there, okay?” 

“My baby, what about my baby? Is it safe for my baby?” Lily asked her eyes wide with fright as she ran her hand over her stomach. 

Hermione glanced over to see Ron talking to Bill. Leaning in she whispered softly into Lily’s ear, “Lily I promise you its safe. I’m pregnant too but I haven’t told Ron yet. He’d have never let me come if he knew.” 

Lily’s head whipped around and her eyes locked on Hermione’s. “You are? You’re not just saying that so I won’t worry are you?” 

Making sure that Ron was still engrossed in his conversation with Bill, Hermione whispered, “No, I really am pregnant. I’m about four months along.” Looking at both Sam and Lily, she continued, “You have to promise me you won’t say anything to Ron until I‘ve had a chance to tell him. He’s going to be mad enough as it is.” 

“Why’s he going to be mad? I was happy when Lily told me,” Sam said. 

“Because I came here. He’s going to be mad at me for flying all the way here in ‘my condition’ as he’ll put it.” 

Lily reached out and took Hermione’s hand, “You’re okay aren’t you?” Lily asked her voice full of concern. 

“I’m fine. I’ll admit the flying was a little more strenuous than I’d planned on. But I’m okay. Now, are you going to be all right? Do you want me to go with you?” 

“Would you?” Lily asked her face hopeful as she looked into Hermione’s eyes. 

“Of course, that’s if it’s all right with you, Sam,” Hermione replied. 

Raising Lily’s head up, Sam kissed her softly, “If it stops you from worrying love, then its fine with me.” 

“Right then,” Hermione said as she held out the playing card at waist level, “Lily, make sure that you and Skye have a good hold on the card. That’s good. Now take Skye’s hand and look at me.  On the count of three I’ll activate the Portkey. Ready?” Receiving a short nod from Lily, Hermione started to count, “One…, two…, three…” and, just like that, they were gone. 

Even though Sam had watched closely when the others had left, it still caught him by surprise and he felt a deep since of loss as he looked at the spot where his family had just been standing. 

Bill, noticing Sam’s worried look, hurried over. “Don’t worry; you’ll be with them in no time.” Pulling out one of the playing cards he asked, “Ready?” 

Giving the clearing that had been their home for so long a final look, Sam nodded to Bill as he clutched Hedwig, “Ready.” 

“Good, now take hold of the card. Ron! Get you arse over here before I leave you.” Once Ron made his way over and took hold of the card, Bill activated the Portkey. 

********** 


	11. Chapter 11: The Burrow

  
Author's notes: I want to thank my beta taja for getting these three chapters out so quickly. The final six chapters are finished and in the beta process.   


* * *

Chapter Eleven: The Burrow 

September 21, 2004 

Sam felt a jerk in his stomach, and then felt like he was falling into a dark hole. He had no idea how long this went on, but he was feeling dizzy when all of a sudden, he found himself sitting on the extremely wet and cold ground as a light rain fell around him. 

Before he had a chance to regain his senses, a small flying bundle hit him, knocking him onto his back, Hedwig giving an indignant squawk as he released her before she flew off, “Daddy you’re here!” Skye’s happy voice yelled as she hugged him tightly.  

“Hi Princess. How’s my girl?” Sam said as he returned Skye’s hug, kissing her as he struggled to sit up. 

“The first time is always the hardest.” Sam heard someone say above him. He looked up to see Bill holding out his hand. Reaching up, Sam took his hand as Bill pulled him up.  

“Sam, don’t just stand there. Get Skye out of the rain. It’s to cold for her to be out here.” Looking toward the sound of the voice, Sam saw Lily, a heavy cloak wrapped tightly around her, standing just outside the door of a rather large ramshackle house. He watched as Bill followed Ron through the open door. 

Grabbing Skye’s hand he rushed over and pulled Lily into a deep kiss. “Are you all right?” Sam asked when he finally released her.  

“I’m fine, love. I missed you,” Lily said as she put her arms around him.  

Sam was surprised and a little hurt when she jumped away from him, a look of disgust on her face. “Oh, Sam! You’re all wet and muddy. Why didn’t you tell me? Now my hands are all dirty.”  

With an impish grin, Lily reached up and grabbed his face, smearing the mud on her hands over it before turning and running quickly into the open door, slamming it behind her, leaving a stunned Sam behind. 

Closing his mouth, Sam looked around, finding himself alone outside the house. Skye must have gone in while he was kissing Lily. Unsure what he should do, Sam just stood there looking at the closed door.  

Just as he raised his hand to knock, the door opened, “Sam! Are you trying to get pneumonia? What’s wrong with you, standing out here in the cold rain,” Lily scolded him as she dragged him into the warm house, “Honestly, I don’t know about you sometimes, and look at your face. I know you’re not expecting me to kiss you looking like that. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. I’d be embarrassed to introduce you to anyone with you looking like this.” 

As Lily was talking, she led Sam into the houses kitchen. Picking up a cloth, she wet it and turned to face him. The whole time, Sam had been to confounded by her actions to say a word and he stood woodenly as Lily gently wiped the mud from around his mouth.  

The next instant, Lily dropped the cloth, grabbed his head and pulled him into a deep passionate kiss. Before he could pull her to him, she broke the kiss, wrapped her arms around his waist, and burying her face against his chest, broke out in tears crying hard as she held him. 

“Hey, what’s wrong love?” Sam said softly as he held her gently, “It’s okay, Lily,” he continued as he rubbed her back, “It’s okay love. Please don’t cry.” Sam continued to hold her, whispering softly to her until her crying began to subside into a series of small gulping hiccups. Gently lifting her chin, Sam wiped the tears from her cheeks, raining soft kiss over her face. “Tell me what’s wrong, love.” 

“I was so scared, Sam,” Lily moaned into his chest as her small body continued to shake uncontrollably, “All these people here, and the noise, and you weren’t here. I thought you weren’t coming. That I’d lost you,” Lily spoke through the hiccups, “I love you Sam. Please don’t ever leave me alone again. Please,” her broken voice pleaded. 

“Shhh! Love, I’m here now. I promise I’ll never leave you. I love you, Lily.” Sam carefully picked her up and carried her over to the table, scooting a chair out with his foot; he sat down cradling her in his lap and rocking her gently in his arms until she quieted.  

He didn’t know Molly and Hermione had entered the kitchen until Hermione whispered, “You can stay over at my house. Molly will keep the children here so it’ll be quieter. If you want, we can floo over now and put her to bed.” 

Sam looked down at Lily. Her eyes were closed and her face relaxed as she slept in his arms. “What do you mean floo over?”  

“Our fireplaces are connected by what’s called a floo network. You take some floo powder, throw it into the fire, say the name of the place you want to go to and step into the fire. When you do you’re transported by the floo network to your destination.” At Sam’s confused look Hermione shrugged her shoulders, “You’ll just have to trust me for now, okay?” 

“I’m afraid she might wake up, what with the noise, if I take her out of the kitchen.” 

“If you’ll give me a minute,” Molly said softly, “I’ll go quiet everyone down long enough for Hermione to take you over to her place. Maybe after she’s had a little nap she’ll feel better.” 

A minute later Molly stuck her head back in and motioned for them to come. Standing up slowly, so as not to wake Lily, Sam followed Hermione out and into the parlor. He stopped in amazement at the number of people in it.  

All of the people from the island were there plus more, and the children, they were everywhere. There was a sharp intake of breath from a tall stately woman with graying hair as he entered with Lily in his arms. Sam started walking again when Hermione tugged on his arm, leading him over to the large fireplace.  

Taking a handful of powder from a jar on the mantel, Hermione grasped Sam’s arm and throwing the powder into the fire said, “Comfort Hollow,” as she dragged Sam and Lily into the fire.  

Sam felt like he was spinning for a moment before he staggered, almost dropping Lily, as Hermione pulled him out into a large comfortable looking living room. Still holding his arm, she turned and led him down a short hallway.  

Opening a door on the right side, she led him into a bright sunlit room with a large bed in the center. “This will be your room. That door leads to a bathroom and there’s another room beyond it for Skye,” Hermione said as she went over to close the curtains. Returning to the bed, she pulled the covers down for Sam so that he could lay Lily down. Noticing Lily’s dirt stained feet, Hermione performed a cleaning spell on them as she helped Sam get her undressed and into bed.  

When Sam bent over to kiss Lily’s forehead as he tucked the blankets around her, Hermione saw the drying mud covering the back of his shirt and pants. “Sam, if you’ll take off those dirty clothes, I’ll clean them for you while you freshen up. There are fresh towels on the shelf if you’d like to take a shower.” It didn’t even faze her when Sam shucked out of his clothes and handed them to her before wandering into the loo. Bending down Hermione picked up Lily’s clothes and shaking her head, left the room. 

Sam couldn’t believe how nice the shower felt as he stood under the hot water, the pounding water relaxing his muscles. Opening one of the bottles lining a shelf on the wall, he sniffed it. The smell reminded him of their forest after a light summer’s rain, clean and fresh. Pouring a little onto his hand, he watched as it started to foam when the water hit it. At the sight he poured more into his hand and proceeded to rub it into his long shaggy hair, quickly working up a rich lather. Once his hair was clean, he used more of the liquid to wash the rest of his body. Sometime later, Sam reluctantly turned the water off and opening the shower door grabbed a towel from the shelf.  

When he entered the bedroom he found his and Lily’s clothes lying folded on a chair by the bed. Two heavy flannel robes lying across the back of the chair, one with a note pinned to it. 

_Sam,_

_I’ve gone back over to the Burrow. I wanted to give you a chance to relax a little before meeting everyone. I’ll be back later to check up on you._

_Hermione_

_P.S. The robes are for you and Lily to wear around the house. I don’t think Ron will ever be ready to see you or his sister running around naked so please wear them, at least when he’s around, okay._

Sam smiled as he placed the note on the chair before climbing into bed next to Lily. The bed was soft and warm and Sam couldn’t remember ever sleeping in anything so comfortable. As his body touched Lily’s, she rolled over, wrapping herself around him and sighing contently in her sleep.  

He wasn’t sleepy even though they’d been up most of the night, but he enjoyed holding Lily’s soft, warm body against him as she slept. As he held her, his mind wandered over their life on the island and all the resent changes that had come about in it. 

Sometime later there was a soft knock on the door and Hermione stuck her head in. Seeing that Sam was awake she came in and sat on the edge of the bed. “I just wanted to make sure you two were okay. Everyone’s dying to see you and Molly’s just about got dinner ready.” 

“Did somebody mention food?” A groggy voice asked. Lily opened her eyes, sitting up she stretched lazily before snuggling back into Sam’s arms, “Hi, Hermione. Did I hear you say something about food? ‘Cause I’m starving,” Lily said, smiling up at her. 

Hermione couldn’t help grinning at the totally relaxed couple lying before her, “I was just telling Sam that Molly’s about to put dinner on the table. If you want anything you’d better get up and get dressed before it’s all gone. Sam’s already taken a shower so you’re already running late.” 

At the word shower, Lily jumped up. “A shower, there’s a shower here? Where?” She said heading towards the open door of the loo. Sam and Hermione laughed at her shouts of delight as the water came on.  

Fifteen minutes later, Lily still hadn’t left the shower. Sam, who was already dressed, looked at Hermione, “Maybe you shouldn’t have mentioned the shower until after we’d eaten.”  

He had just gotten up to go run her out when the shower shut off and he heard the shower door open. Before he had a chance to sit back down, Lily came rushing in, her naked skin flushed, eyes shinning, and dripping water from her wet skin and long hair as she hurried over to him. “Sam, can you help me dry my hair?” She asked throwing a towel at him, “Its to long for me to do by myself.” Not waiting for an answer, she unfolded the other towel she carried and started drying her body.  

“Stand still. How am I supposed to dry your hair if you keep moving?” Sam grumbled. 

Hermione laughed as Sam tried to maneuver the towel with Lily’s moving body. “I can do a drying spell on your hair if you’d like Lily. It might save Sam some trouble.” 

Straightening up, Lily asked, “You can? Can you teach it to me sometime?” 

“Yes, and of course I’ll teach it to you,” standing up, Hermione walked over to Lily, “Now hold still for a minute.”  Pulling out her wand, Hermione waved it over Lily’s hair, muttering something as she moved the wand slowly over Lily’s long hair, the hair drying as the wand passed over it. “Would you like me to brush it out for you too?” 

“Could you?” 

“Just let me fetch a brush,” Hermione said heading to the bathroom. 

Returning, she threw a brush at Sam, “It wouldn’t hurt you to run a brush through that mess, you know,” she said stopping beside Lily who was just finishing buttoning up her jeans. She waited until Lily had her blouse on before brushing out her long hair. 

Leading them into the living room, Hermione said haphazardly, “We really need to find you two some shoes,” before they flooed away. 

********** 

When they exited the fireplace, the death grip Lily had on Sam’s arm tightened. The noise level was incredibly loud as the crowd of children and adults competed to be heard. At their entrance, the room fell silent as all eyes focused on them.  

“Mummy, Daddy, where’d you go?” Skye asked, running over and hugging Lily’s legs. 

“Mummy wasn’t feeling well so Daddy took her over to Aunt Hermione’s house to rest,” Sam said as he bent down to pick up his daughter. “And what have you been doing Princess?” 

“Playing with Ginny and Billy, and Freddy, and Charlie, and Arthur, and Liora.” 

“Are you having fun?” 

“Yes Daddy. Billy has a hat that makes your head go away. Can I have one, please Daddy?” 

“Maybe Billy will show it to me later and then we’ll see, okay Princess? Now can you be quiet so Mummy and Daddy can talk?” Sam asked, kissing her before setting her back down. 

“Okay, Daddy.” 

Straightening back up, Sam looked out at the sea of faces staring at him. Feeling uneasy, he put his arm around Lily and pulled her tight against him as he nudged Hermione with his elbow. 

Hermione, feeling Sam nudge her said, “Everyone I’d like you to meet Sam and Lily Potter.” She glanced at Sam and Lily and was relieved to see a slight smile on Lily’s face, “While you all may know them, unfortunately they don’t remember any of us which is something we all need to try and correct. As you can tell they’re a little nervous so if those of you that haven’t already met them will introduce yourselves it might help put them as ease.” 

The tall stately woman with the graying hair was the first to speak. “Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter, You don’t know how happy I am to see you both again. I’m Professor McGonagall, Headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I’m pleased to say that you both were in my house, Gryffindor, when you attended. You also played on our house Quidditch team, you, Sam from your first year and you, Lily starting in your fourth year. I would be pleased to give you a tour of the school sometime if you’d like.” 

Once she’d finished, Bill, Percy, and George took turns introducing their wives and children. After they were done Hermione started to introduce her twins. She’d just introduced Freddy and was about to introduce Ginny when her daughter ran over and hugged Lily’s leg. 

“Aunt Ginny, I’m Ginny too, Daddy named me after you. Ginevra Charlie Weasley.  Charlie is from Uncle Charlie, he’s gone now. I got red hair and brown eyes just like you,” the little girl said as she looked up at Lily, a bright smile covering her small face. 

Lily couldn’t help smiling down at the little girl who appeared to be about the same age as Skye. Kneeling down to say hello, Lily found herself smothered in a hug as the little girl threw her arms around her hugging her tightly. 

“Ginny, why don’t you and Skye go play until it’s time to eat, okay?” came Hermione’s voice. 

Breaking away from Lily the little girl grabbed Skye’s hand, and dragging her off, said, “Okay Mummy,” over her shoulder before disappearing. 

By the time Neville, his wife, Susan, Kingsley Shacklebolt and strange man with a continually moving eye named Moody had been introduced, Lily’s stomach was growling. She jumped when someone moved up beside her. Looking up she found herself staring into her brother’s, Ron, eyes. She could tell that he was nervous when he looked away and down at his feet. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, “for scaring you. I really thought you were going to fall and then when I realized it was really you, I was so shocked I couldn’t let go.” 

Reaching out tentative, Lily took hold of his large hand, feeling him tense as she did so, “It’s okay, Ron. I know you weren’t trying to hurt me and I would have been scared even if I wasn’t sick. I hadn’t seen anyone except Sam and Skye for so long anyone would of scared me.” 

“Maybe, but it was just my luck that it was me who ended up with the broken arm.” 

“Oh! That’s right. Are you okay?” 

“It’s alright now. Tonks was able to fix it when they showed up.” As he finished talking, his stomach growled loudly. 

Letting out a small laugh, Lily squeezed Ron’s hand, “I’m with you, let’s eat,” she said as her own stomach growled again. 

Squeezing her hand in return, Ron caught his mother’s eye, “Hey Mum!” he shouted across the room, “Lily wants to know when we can eat,” he said grinning down at her shocked face. 

Feeling her face turning red, Lily socked Ron’s arm while murmuring under her breath just loud enough for him to hear, “Just you wait, Ron. I’ll get you later.” 

Ron grinned as his mother started herding everyone to the table. It was good to have his sister back. 

**********


	12. Chapter 12: St. Mungo's

Chapter Twelve: St. Mungo's 

September 22, 2004 

Lily groaned as the light hit her through the open curtains of the window. Rolling over, she cuddled into Sam, sighing at just how soft and warm the bed was. _It sure beats a mat on the ground_ she thought as she snuggled deeper into the covers. _I want to stay here all day it's so comfortable._  

Reaching down between them, she grasped hold of Sam, playing with him. Feeling him start to harden, she smiled mischievously as he moaned and rolled over on his back giving her free access to him. Squeezing him gently, she started stroking him, smiling when his eyes popped open. 

"Good morning to you too," he said as he pulled her on top of him, kissing her deeply. 

Lily didn't speak as she continued to slowly stroke him as she rained soft kisses on his face and neck. Smiling to herself as Sam's hands started running over her body. She moaned softly as one hand stopped on her breast, the fingers rubbing her stiffing nipple between them. 

Just when things were getting interesting, a knock sounded at the door and Hermione's voice came through, "Lily, Sam, time to get up. We have to be at St. Mungo's in an hour.  

_Bloody Hell!_ Lilly though. _I forgot all about having to go to see a Healer this morning._ Last night after the guests had gone, her parents had asked her and Sam to go to St Mungo's, a wizard hospital, to see if a reason for their memory loss could be found. After some heated discussion, and a reminder that Lily could also have a checkup of her pregnancy too, they'd finally agreed to go. 

Cursing softly, Lily rolled off Sam. "I get the shower first," she said, jumping out of the bed. "You could use a cold shower anyway judging by the looks of it." She called over her shoulder as she ran for the loo. 

She squealed  when Sam grabbed her and pinned her up against the shower wall. "I don't want a cold shower," he said as he ran his hands over her wet body, "I want you." 

Hermione knocked on the door. Receiving no answer, she opened it slowly, "Lily, Sam, you awake? We need to leave soon."   

Seeing the empty rumpled bed she went over to the half open door of the loo. Starting to call out, she stopped as the sounds coming from the shower reached her. Her face turning red, Hermione turned and quickly left the room. They might be a little late getting to St. Mungo's but she wasn't going to interrupt them. 

********** 

When Sam and Lily arrived at St. Mungo's with Molly and Hermione the hospital was relatively quiet. Telling them to sit down, Hermione and Molly went up to the administration desk to see about getting a Healer to see them.  

While Sam and Lily waited a young woman in green robes walked by, glancing at them as she did. They watched as the woman stopped, turned around, and came rushing back to stop in front of Lily, "Ginny! Is that you?" the young woman asked as she stared intently at Lily. "It is you!" she cried dropping down to hug Lily tightly. "Everyone said you were dead. Where have you been?" the woman asked as she released Lily, a wide smile on her face. 

Before Lily could answer, the woman noticed Sam. A look of pure shock covered her face as she said softly, "Harry? Harry Potter? You're supposed to be dead too." 

Hermione, seeing the young woman kneeling in front of Lily rushed over. "Parvati, I‘m glad your working today," Hermione said as she helped the woman up. "Perhaps you can help...," Sam and Lily couldn't hear the rest of the conversation as Hermione led the woman away.  

They watched as Hermione stopped down the hall, whispering urgently to the woman. As Hermione talked the woman kept stealing glances at them and nodding her head at what Hermione was saying. Finished, Hermione and the young woman came back, stopping in front of Sam and Lily. 

"Lily, Sam, I'd like you to meet Parvati Patil, she's a Healer here at St. Mungo's and a friend of Ginny and Harry's. We were all in the same house at Hogwarts. Parvati has agreed to examine Lily and me. She'll also do the examines on both of you for your memory loss." 

Smiling Parvati said, "It's so good to see you both again. There's going to be quite the uproar when news of you being alive gets out, Sam." 

Hermione's face froze at Parvati's words. "Parvati, we can't let anyone know they're alive. Not yet. Not until we know if they'll ever get their memory back. Is their some way this can be kept quiet?" 

"Hermione, you know I won't tell anyone, but other people do work here. Let's get them out of the hallway and into an examination room. The less people that see them, the better chance you have of keeping this from getting out." 

As Parvati led Sam and Lily down the hall to an exam room she asked, "Hermione, shouldn't you go tell Molly that I'm going to do the memory exam?" 

"You're right, I should. She's trying to set up an appointment now." 

"Is she giving their real names or using Sam and Lily?" 

"Sam and Lily." 

"That's good," Parvati said opening a door and ushering Lily and Sam inside. "Tell her I'll be examining Lily in here and don't forget you're next." 

Noting the number on the door, Hermione called out, "All right," as she hurried back to Molly. 

By the time Molly and Hermione arrived at the room, Lily was in a hospital gown and lying on the exam table. Parvati was just finishing her examination, "Well everything seems to be fine, Lily. Would you like to know what the baby's sex is?" 

"You can tell?" 

"Yes, there's a spell I can use that will send either a blue or red light from my wand when I pass it over your stomach. Would you like me to cast it?" 

Lily looked at Sam, a questioning look on her face, "Sam, do you want to know?" 

"I don't know? Do you?" 

Lily looked over at Hermione, "Hermione are you going to have her tell you what your baby is?" 

Molly let out a gasp as she turned to face Hermione, "You're pregnant? Does Ron know?" She asked, giving Hermione a hug. 

Hermione gave Molly a sheepish grin as she said, "Yes, I am and no, Ron doesn't know yet. I only told Lily and Sam because Lily was afraid that using the Portkey might harm her baby." 

"You've know for that long and haven't told Ron yet" 

"You know Ron, Molly. If he'd known I was pregnant he would have tried to stop me from going to find Lily and Sam." 

"Your right, he would have. So how far along are you?" 

"Four months, I think. I guess we'll know for sure now." 

"Hermione," Lily broke in, "are you going to find out what your baby is or not?" 

Everyone looked at Hermione as they waited for her to answer. "No, Ron and I decided with the twins that knowing would spoil the surprise when the babies came." 

Lily looked back at Sam, "Do you want to wait and see or not." 

"Let's wait and see, okay?" 

"Okay," Lily said as she turned back to Parvati. 

As Parvati looked from Lily to Hermione, a mischievous grin broke out, "I have an idea. Why don't I show Hermione what your baby is and then show you what hers is. You still won't know what your own baby is so the surprise won't be spoiled." 

"You'll let me see what both babies are won't you?" Molly asked. 

Before Parvati could answer, both Hermione and Lily shouted, "No". 

"But why..." Molly was cut off as Hermione spoke. 

"If we have to wait to find out then so do you Molly." 

"Hermione's right, Mum, it wouldn't be fair if you knew," Lily said. 

Molly started to protest, and then stopped as what Lily said sank in. A huge smile washed across her face, her daughter had just called her ‘Mum'. 

"Well," Parvati asked. "Are we going to do this or not?" 

"Okay?" Lily asked looking at Hermione. 

"Okay," Hermione said. 

Raising her wand, Parvati conjured up a black blindfold which she placed over Lily's eyes. "Can you see anything?" she asked. 

"No." 

Raising her wand once again, she murmured a spell causing a curtain to appear at the foot of the exam table. "All right, Hermione, you stand over there," Parvati said, pointing to the other side of the table. Once Hermione was in place she pulled the curtain around the exam table, cutting Molly and Sam out. 

"Okay, Lily, here we go." Passing her wand over Lily's stomach, a bright blue light glowed at the tip of her wand. Looking up at Hermione, Parvati asked, "Do you see it?" 

Hermione looked up and smiled as she answered, "Yes". 

Ending the spell, Parvati removed the blindfold from Lily's eyes and opened the curtain. "We'll let you get dressed and then it's Hermione's turn," she said as she pulled the curtain closed behind her and Hermione. 

Once Lily was dressed, she opened the curtain. Parvati, whose curiosity couldn't be contained any longer asked, "Lily, why are you and Sam barefoot? It's a little cold to be running around like that isn't it?"  

Lilly looked down at her bare feet and then back at Parvati, "We don't have any shoes and we didn't have clothes until Hermione got some for us." 

"Really?" Parvati asked as she grinned wickedly at Hermione, her eyes traveling over Sam's body. "That must have been something." 

"Parvati! It wasn't like that!" Hermione said blushing deeply. "I thought it was time for you to examine me," she said, trying to change the subject. 

"Oh, right...," Parvati said tearing her eyes away from Sam. "Let me see if the exam room next door is empty." 

"No, we need to keep everyone together. We don't want anyone walking in on them if we leave," Hermione said pointing to Lily and Sam. "Just leave the curtain up. It will be fine." 

"There are some rather personal questions I'll have to ask you during your exam, Hermione. Are you sure it's all right?" 

"I can put up a silencing spell around us until you're finished" 

"Sounds good to me. Why don't you go and get undressed and call me when you're ready. There are clean gowns in the cupboard," Parvati said pointing to the cupboard on the end. 

Hermione pulled the curtain closed behind her as she walked over to the cupboard and started getting undressed. Once she had on a gown she got up on the exam table and called for Parvati, putting up a silencing spell once she was inside the curtain. 

Some fifteen minutes later, the curtain opened enough for Parvati to stick her head out and motion for Lily to come in.  When Lily entered, Hermione's eyes were covered with the black blindfold as she lay on the exam table.  

"Alright, Lily if you'll stand on that side of the table we'll find out what this baby is," Parvati said. 

Lily watched in amazement as a bright blue light glowed on the tip of Parvati's wand as she passed it over Hermione's stomach. She nodded when Parvati asked her if she saw it. 

Once Parvati had ended the spell, she removed the blindfold and exited the curtained area with Lily so that Hermione could get dressed. 

When everyone was back together, Parvati transformed the examination table into a long couch and asked everyone to take a seat. 

Sitting on a stool in front of them, she asked, "Sam, can you tell me your earliest memory?" She watched Sam closely as he answered. 

"That would be waking up on the beach with Lily in my arms." 

"And you didn't know your name or hers, right?" 

"Yes, that's right." 

"Lily, is your first memory waking up on the beach too?" 

"Yes, it is." 

"You didn't know Sam or your name either?" 

"No, I didn't" 

Standing up, Parvati walked behind the couch and stopped behind Sam and Lily. Taking out her wand, she moved it slowly over first Sam's head and then Lily's while muttering different spells under her breath.  

"Hum..., that's interesting," she said softly when she'd finished.  

"What? What's interesting?" Sam asked. 

Walking back over to the stool, she sat down before answering him, "There's a block on your and Lily's memories. They're quite distinct and identical in every way." 

"Can you remove them?" 

"No, they can only be removed by the ones who placed them there." 

"How do we find out who did it? Is there some way you can tell?" 

"Oh, I already know who did it, I just don't know why." 

"Well, tell us. Who blocked our memory?" 

"You did, you and Lily joined together to block your memories." 

Parvati's statement stunned everyone. Lily and Sam stared at each others shocked faces while Hermione and Molly sat speechless beside them. 

"We did..., But why..., Why wou..., No, mistake...," Sam sputtered as he looked rapidly from Lily's shocked face to Parvati. 

"Hermione," Parvati asked, "were you close enough during the battle to see what happened when they vanished?" 

"Yes," a bewildered Hermione said as she tried to get her mind functioning again. "I'll never forget that moment. Ron and I were fighting back to back about fifteen feet from them." 

"Tell me, what did you see?" 

"I heard Harry cry out. When I looked, Ginny was on the ground and Harry was standing over her. Then Harry knelt down and lifted her up into his arms. When Harry looked back up at Voldemort his eyes scared me, they were so full of anger and hate. I saw him cast a spell at the same time Voldemort did. Next thing I knew I was lying on the ground, my ears were ringing, I couldn't see straight, and felt like I'd just been run over by a lorry. When I managed to get up, Voldemort was dead and Harry and Ginny were gone. Ron and I looked, but we couldn't find a trace of them. Nothing." 

"What about before the battle? Tell me what happened then." Parvati asked. 

"Four days before the battle, Harry, Ron, and I had managed to track down and destroy the last of Voldemort's Horcruxes. That night Harry had Remus call a special meeting of the Order where we explained what we'd been doing. Ginny demanded to attend and Harry was able to get Mr. Weasley to let her," Hermione glanced at Molly. "Molly didn't want her to go but Harry said that he'd tell Ginny everything anyway, he said he wasn't going to keep anymore secrets from her. At the meeting Harry said that now was the time to destroy Voldemort before he found out that all his Horcruxes were gone.  

Plans were made that night. Professor McGonagall would have two days to get all of the students away from Hogwarts that weren't of age, or were unwilling to fight, using the passageways to Honeydukes and the Shrieking Shack since they were both empty, and hold them there. Order members and those willing to fight would come into Hogwarts the same way. It was hoped that this would keep Voldemort from finding out our plans and he would walk into our trap.  

On the third day, word would be leaked that Harry would be going into hiding under a Fidelius Charm in two days. We were sure that Voldemort would attack and try to kill Harry before he left Hogwarts and we would be waiting for him.  

After the meeting Ginny and Harry got into a terrible row. She wanted to fight by his side during the battle and Harry wanted her to leave with the other students saying that he needed to know that she was safe. Ginny wouldn't talk to him over the next two days.  

When it came time for her to leave with the last lot of students, Harry grabbed her and took her into an empty classroom. Everyone could hear them shouting at each other, we couldn't hear what they were saying though. Then it got quiet. When they came out later, they were holding hands and Harry said that she was staying." Hermione cast a nervous glance at Molly, "Molly and Arthur told Ginny that she was underage and that she was not staying. They had a fight then, but Ginny ended it when she said that if they made her leave, she'd never forgive them and on her seventeenth birthday she'd leave and they'd never see her again. I don't know what happened after that. Harry and Ginny left and I didn't see them again until after the fight started." 

"Molly, what about you? Did you see what happened or do you have anything to add?" Parvati asked. 

"No, I wasn't near them during the battle. Arthur and I were with Charlie." Molly's voice broke as she continued, "Charlie had just been hit with a killing curse meant for me when the blast came from Harry, killing Voldemort." Wiping at the tears running down her face Molly finished, "As for the rest I think Hermione's covered it quite well." 

Lily was gripping Sam's hand so hard her knuckles were white as she listened to first Hermione and then her mother. She gasped when Molly told about Charlie. She knew she had a brother that had died but she hadn't known until now how he'd died. 

Parvati had been watching both Sam and Lily closely while Hermione and Molly talked. While they were both listening, the only reaction she saw was from Lily when Molly mentioned Charlie. "Lily, did you react to Charlie because you remembered something or because of how he died?" 

Lily jumped, "What..., I'm sorry, what did you say?" 

"I asked why you reacted when Molly mentioned Charlie's name." 

"Oh, well I knew I had a brother that had died, but I never knew how until just now." 

Parvati looked sharply at Molly and Hermione, "Lily, can you list all of your family by name for me?"  
  
Giving Parvati a questioning look, Lily said, "My father's name is Arthur," she pointed to her mother, "Molly is my mother's name, and my brothers are Bill, Charlie, who died, Percy, George, and Ron."  

When Lily finished she noticed both her mother and Hermione giving her strange looks. Turning, she looked over at Parvati. She, too, was giving her a strange look. "What's wrong? Why are all of you looking at me like that?"   

"I'm so sorry," Molly said brokenly as she leaned forward to look at her daughter, "I just assumed you already knew, I guess." 

"Knew what?" 

"You had another brother, Fred. He was George's identical twin. He died the same day as Charlie." 

For a split second Lily pictured George standing side by side with someone who looked just like him. The only difference was that one was smiling and the other was frowning about something, then it was gone. Shaking her head, Lily said, "I don't remember him, or Charlie. I'm sorry." 

"I don't think we can accomplish anymore today," Parvati said. "Why don't you all go home and talk some more. You might try looking at pictures, or if you still have their old school trunks, Molly, let them go through them." She stopped as an idea hit her, "Ginny kept a journal didn't she?" Parvati asked both Molly and Hermione.  

"Yes she did, before she left for Hogwarts, but she stopped after her first year. I don't know if she ever started again or not. I could never bring myself to look through her things after she was gone," Molly stated. 

"I think she started again in fourth year," Hermione said. 

"I suggest you look through your school trunk, Lily, and see if you can find a journal. If you do it might help you to remember. Go through everything with Sam, together. Share whatever you find, you never know what might turn out to be helpful." Parvati said as she stood up.  

Once everyone was in the hallway and ready to leave, Parvati took both Lily and Hermione's hands, "I expect both of you to come see me in three weeks. Remember, exercise and eat right." Letting go of their hands she told everyone goodbye before turning and walking away. 

Not wanting anyone to recognise Sam or Lily, Hermione hurried everyone over to the fireplace in the reception area where they immediately flooed back to the Burrow. 


	13. Chapter 13: Questions Answered

Chapter Thirteen: Questions Answered 

September 24, 2004 

The last two days had been rather pleasant. Sam and Lily were still staying at Ron and Hermione's house while the children stayed at the Burrow. Since returning from St. Mungo's, the evenings had been spent either at the Burrow or Comfort Hollow with the family gathered around talking or telling stories while going through photo albums. They still hadn't gone through their school trunks or any of Lily's things. 

When Ginny had been gone three years, Molly had finally let Arthur and the boys pack up her room and move her things to the attic. She had been unable to go into the room, leaving Hermione to make sure everything was packed up right. Since then the room had been repainted for the grandchildren to stay in when they visited. 

Now that Lily and Sam were back, Molly insisted that the room be returned to the way it was before she would let Lily or Sam see any of their things. She thought that if the room was as Ginny had left it, it might help bring Lily's memory back.  

So for the past two days, Arthur and the boys had been repainting and bringing Ginny's things back down from the attic. Molly, with Hermione's help, had spent most of the evening putting Ginny's things back in their proper places, even to the point of placing her dirty clothes in a pile at the foot of her bed and the bits of scrap parchment on the desk and floor, nothing had been thrown away. Hermione remembered where everything had been, even though she'd been crying most of the time while it was being packed away. 

As Hermione finished placing one of Ginny's old shoes under the bed, so that it was peeking out from under it, she straightened up and surveyed the room, turning in a circle as she did so. The only thing out of place was Harry's school trunk and broom, brought over by Remus. They had never been in Ginny's room before. 

"Well, is it the way you remember?" asked Molly. 

Hermione moved the sleeve on the blouse hanging over the chair by Ginny's desk. "Yes, it all looks right now. Shall we bring them up?" 

"Maybe we should just let them come up on their own. Let them look around and go through things privately." 

"Your right, Molly. It probably would be better for them." Taking Molly's arm Hermione led them down the stairs and into the parlor.  

Lily and Sam were almost completely relaxed being around so many people after their long life alone. Tonight Sam and Lily were going through wedding pictures with everyone passing around pictures and albums from a pile on the floor near them. Seeing Hermione and Molly enter the room, Lily stopped what she was saying to Luna and looked at them. Soon all eyes were on them. 

"It's ready now," Molly said looking at Sam and Lily. "We thought it might be better if the two of you went up on your own."  

Lily stood up, nervously wringing her hands and waited for Sam to get up. She calmed down a little when Sam took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Ready love," he asked. 

Nodding her head, Lily let Sam lead her over to the stairs. She realized as they started up that she'd never been in any part of the house except the parlor and the kitchen before now. She didn't even know where or which room was hers. Turning her head she looked questionably back down at her mother and Hermione. 

"It's the third landing, first room on the right," Hermione called up to them. 

********** 

Lily stood in the doorway of Ginny's room, her room, as she looked around. The room was painted a warm yellow with white trimming. Against the back wall under the rooms window was a twin bed, its covers rumpled, with an old stool as a nightstand. On the right wall was a small desk and chair with a bookcase and a trunk beside it. The left side of the room sported an old wardrobe with a mirrored door, and a small two drawer chest, its top covered with miscellaneous items and a few picture frames. A well worn braded rug in yellows and greens covered the wooden floor in front of the bed. Another trunk, with a broom propped against it, sat to the right of the door.  

As Lily entered the room a warm comfortable feeling enveloped her. Walking over to the desk she trailed her fingers over the parchments scattered over it. Picking up one, she started to read.  

_The Uses of Unicorn hair_

_By Ginny Weasley_

_The most common use of Unicorn hair is as a core in wand making. It is also used in..._  

Sitting the parchment down, she noticed another piece. On it was written Harry Potter, Harry Potter, over and over again in different styles of script and printing. Smiling to herself she looked over at Sam who was standing just inside the door watching her. Holding up the parchment for him to see she said, "It looks like Ginny fancied Harry a bit." 

Dropping the paper back on the desk, Lily made her way over to the chest where she looked at the pictures. One was a picture of herself, very young, her hair in pigtails, shaking her finger at someone out of frame while appearing to lecture them.  Another showed her in uniform, arm outstretched as she leaned forward on a broom. A small golden ball with wings could barely be seen in front of her reaching hand. As Lily watched, the hand closed over the golden ball as her younger self sat upright, hand raised over her head, with a wide smile covering her face. The last picture showed a young Sam, his eyes fastened on her. His face glowed with pure love, and then he quickly turned away, blushing, as her younger self turned to ask him something.  

Lily watched this cycle repeat until Sam walked up behind her, his voice startling her, "Looks like Harry fancied Ginny a bit too." As he spoke, he placed his arms around her. 

Leaning back against him, she said, "Looks like we were destined to be together doesn't it." 

Nuzzling her neck while breathing in the sweet sent of her hair, Sam replied, "Destiny or not, there's no one I'd rather be with." 

Turning in his arms, Lily looked up at him. The same look of pure love she'd seen in the picture filled his eyes as he looked down at her. 

Burying her face against his chest, Lily whispered, "I love you Sam," as she hugged him tightly. 

Breaking away, Lily smiled up at him, before stepping away. Looking around the room she asked, "Where do you think we should start?" 

"The bed looks nice to me." Sam said giving Lily's bum a quick squeeze. 

Turning around, Lily swatted Sam on the arm, "Sam, your not helping." 

"Ouch! No need to get your ire up, you did ask you know." 

"That's not what I was asking and you know it." 

Giving her a forlorn look while rubbing his arm as if she'd really hurt him, he said, "Well it is a nice looking bed." 

Lily couldn't help it as a grin broke out, "You really are incorrigible, Sam." Patting him on the arm, she continued, "Maybe if we finish up before it gets too late, I'll help you check out the bed."  

Trailing her fingers down his arm she gave him a smoldering look before yanking him into a kiss that was so fiery it burned out Sam's ability to think clearly. When she released him, Sam could only stand there, a dazed look covering his face for a moment before he was able to shake off the effects of the kiss.  

Lily jumped away from him as he reached out for her, "Oh no you don't," she said shaking her finger at him. "First we have to go through things, and then we'll see about playing." 

Sam's shoulders slumped as he sighed, "All right, if you insist, but I'm holding you to your promise." 

"Fine, now where should we start?" 

"I don't know, maybe with your school trunk. Molly said nobody's gone through it since all your things were returned from school. If you had a journal, it should be in there." 

"Sounds good, why don't you drag your trunk over and we'll go through it next." Lily said as she walked over and sat down on the floor in front of her old school trunk.  

She waited as Sam walked over, picked up the broom and proceeded to drag his trunk over next to hers. "I can't wait to try this," he said holding out the broom. "Imagine flying around on something like this. I wonder how fast it goes." 

"Sam, put it down. You can play with it later after someone shows you how it works." 

Sam reluctantly put the broom down by his trunk and sat down beside Lily. "All right, let's see what's in the trunk." 

Kneeling in front of the trunk, Lily undid the clasps and raised the lid. Reaching in she pulled out a black robe like the one she'd had on the island. Under it were two gray jumpers with crimson and gold trim, four white shirts, three skirts, and a school tie. Next came some miscellaneous t-shirts, a couple of blouses, two pairs of jeans, socks, knickers and bras. As she sat the clothes aside she said, "I don't know how I ever wore so much clothing. I'm only wearing jeans and a blouse and it still feels uncomfortable. I can't imagine having to wear these too," she concluded holding up a pair of green knickers and a plain white bra. 

"I don't know, I think you'd look good wearing just those." Sam said giving her a sly look. 

Lily jabbed him with her elbow before turning back to her trunk. "Keep that up and we definitely won't be checking out the bed." 

Lily proceeded to pull more items from her trunk. An inkwell, quills, parchment, school books, a small jewelry box, some hair ribbons, and near the bottom, a small stack of letters tied with a ribbon and three journals.  

Setting the letters aside, Lily took out the journals. Opening the first one, she saw _Ginny Weasley - Fourth Year_. Another read _Ginny Weasley - Sixth Year._ Inside the remaining journal she found _Ginny Weasley - Fifth Year._ Placing the journals in their proper order she looked at Sam, "Should we start with the first or the last?" 

"The last, don't you think. It may tell us what we're looking for." 

Picking up Ginny's sixth year journal, Lily sat down next to Sam and snuggled up as close as she could to him before opening the journal. "Should I read it aloud or let you read it too?" she asked. 

"Out loud, I like listening to you." 

Turning to the first page Lily began reading.  

_"July 15, 1997 - Mum just told me that Harry will be here in four days. I don't think I can take being around him and not be with him. I hurt so much. It feels as if my heart has been torn out. I love him so much and I know he loves me. How could he let me go? I know he's only trying to protect me. That he doesn't want me to get hurt but doesn't he realize that he's hurt me more than Voldemort ever could by leaving me. Why'd you do it Harry? We love each other. We're stronger together than we'll ever be apart. Please Harry, come back to me. Please take the pain away."_  

Lily snuggled closer to Sam as his arm went around her. 

_"July 19, 1997 - Harry should be here anytime now. I'm going to stay here, in my room. I can't see him. Every since Mum told me he was coming the pain has been getting worse. Seeing Ron and Hermione together hasn't helped either. Why should they be so happy when I'm so miserable? Why are you making me cry so much, Harry? I don't want to be protected. All I want is you. Please be coming for me, not just to be getting away from your hateful Muggle family or to see Ron and Hermione, but for me. Just for me."_  

Lily shivered as she finished reading the entry remembering how she felt when she'd arrived at the Burrow without Sam. How lost and alone she'd felt, as if she'd lost him forever and would never see him again. She could understand the pain Ginny wrote about. 

_"July 20, 1997 - I still haven't seen Harry. Mum came up last night when I didn't come down. I told her I wasn't feeling good but I don't think she was fooled. She offered to have Hermione bring up some soup but I told her no. I couldn't eat anything the way my stomach is churning. I can feel him and it hurts so much. Hermione came up to check on me. I might have fooled her, what with my eyes being red and puffy and my face flushed, but I'm not sure. I know I can't hide in here forever but for now it's what I need. Maybe tomorrow I can face him."_

Lily looked up at Sam, "How could he leave her? Didn't he realize how much he would hurt her? Would you leave me like that to protect me?" 

Hugging her tightly, Sam replied, "Not as Sam but apparently I did as Harry. I would never do anything to hurt you and I can't believe I was so stupid as to hurt you as Harry." 

"Let's see just how much of a git you were shall we," Lily said as she continued reading. 

_"July 31, 1997 - Today's Harry's seventeenth birthday. He's been avoiding me every since I came out of my room. It's like he doesn't want me at all, not even as a friend and it's tearing me apart. Why did I have to fall in love with him? Can't he see what he's doing to me? Hermione knows. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at me. I don't want to be pitied. I just want Harry back in my life so I can live again._

_August 1, 1997 - Our Hogwarts letters came today. Mum says we'll be going to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get our school supplies. Harry's still avoiding me. I've caught him looking at me several times but he still won't talk to me. If he'd just talk to me, explain to me why we can't be together here at the Burrow. I can understand him staying away at school. If people saw us together it might get back to Voldemort but here we would be safe._

_August 11, 1997 - I'm sixteen today. Funny I don't feel any older. Harry's going to talk to me today. I don't care if I have to hex him he's going to explain his stupid thinking to me. I see him talking to Hermione and Ron and I know they're up to something. Knowing him it's probably dangerous. What ever it is I'm going to know or he's not leaving here intact. I love him and he loves me and we're going to be together even if it kills us._

_HE LOVES ME!! You should have seen the look on everyone's faces when I asked them to leave Harry and me alone so we could talk. We hadn't even cut my cake yet but I couldn't take sitting there looking at him any longer. It was even funnier when Harry tried to leave with them. Good thing I used the spell Fred taught me and glued him to his chair and it to the floor. Good thing too that I got his wand away before he could use it. I think our yelling at each other woke up the whole village. I know everyone at the Burrow heard us quite well but it was worth it. Once he realized that he wasn't leaving until he explained everything to me he calmed down and tried to reason with me. Fat chance that. It took awhile, almost three hours, but I finally got everything out of him. His love for me, his fear of not being able to live if something happened to me, the mission he, Hermione and Ron had, to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes, everything including his plan not to return to Hogwarts. It probably didn't hurt when I sat on his lap and kissed him every time he said something I didn't like but it worked. It felt so good to feel his arms around me after I released him. We can be together here at the Burrow._

_When we finally left the kitchen everyone was still there sitting in the parlor waiting. I don't know what gave us away, my huge smile or the fact that Harry had his arm around me but they all know that we're a couple now. We're going to get with Hermione and Ron to discuss their plans for finding and destroying the Horcruxes tomorrow."_  

"Poor chap never stood a chance what with you sitting on his lap and kissing him like that. No wonder I never win any arguments with you. You don't play fair," Sam said. 

"Would you really want me to?" Lily whispered in his ear before trailing soft kisses down his neck. 

The soft kisses caused Sam to shiver, "No... I guess not."  

Before he could try to kiss her, she broke away, swatting him as he reached for her, "I didn't think so. Now where was I?" she muttered as she resumed reading. 

_"August 31, 1997 - We leave tomorrow for school. After a lot of discussion Harry, Hermione and Ron have decided to return to Hogwarts. Hermione finally convinced Harry that they would have access to more research material there than anywhere else. When Harry finally agreed I was so happy I grabbed Hermione and kissed her for getting him to change his mind. I don't know who was more shocked, Ron or Hermione. Harry just laughed at the look on both their faces. I'm glad Harry's coming. The hard part will be not being able to hold him or kiss him at school for fear of Voldemort finding out about us. I've grown quite fond of Harry holding me and kissing me of late."_  

Pulling the journal out of Lily's hands, Sam kissed her as she looked up to protest his taking the journal from her.  Lily getting out a sharp "Hey!" before his lips closed against hers, his probing tongue finally finding its way to hers as the kiss deepened. 

Lily had to stop and catch her breath when Sam finally released her, "Mummm, that was nice," she said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Taking the journal from him she continued, "But we really need to finish reading this journal Sam." 

"Why don't you skip closer to the end? That's probably where what were looking for is anyway." 

"You're right. We know the battle happened on the fifteenth of April so why don't I start on the first of March?" 

"Sounds good to me." 

Lily opened the journal and quickly flipped through the pages until she found the first entry for March. 

_"March 8, 1997 - I'm worrying myself sick. They've been gone almost two weeks now, far longer than ever before. Something's happened to them, I know it. They're out there somewhere hurt or maybe captured by Death Eaters. The whole school knows they've been up to something. The way they're always taking off at odd times without telling anyone where they're going or why. Even Professor McGonagall doesn't know what they're doing. All she knows is that it's a task Dumbledore told Harry must be done. She even came to ask me if I knew what they were up to. I had to lie and say no but Harry made me promise not to tell anyone until they have found and destroyed all the Horcruxes. He can't have Voldemort finding out what they're doing._

_March 12, 1997 - They're back! Professor McGonagall had one of the students pull me out of Potions lesson and tell me to go straight to the infirmary. When I got there, Harry and Ron were outside pacing up and down outside the door. They were both ragged and dirty looking. I was so happy to see Harry I couldn't stop myself from pouncing on him and kissing him. I didn't care who saw us. It didn't even register that Hermione wasn't with them until the infirmary door opened and Madam Pomfrey told us that we could come in now._

_Hermione was asleep when Madam Pomfrey led us over to her bed telling us that Hermione needed to rest and we could only stay for a minute. Ron refused to leave when we were told to go and it took Harry a while to get Madam Pomfrey to allow Ron to stay by Hermione's bedside._

_Harry and I went up to Gryffindor tower. With everyone in class, I followed Harry up to his room where I waited while he showered. I almost followed him into the loo but stopped myself at the last moment. I didn't want to let him out of my sight, not even for a minute, I'd been so worried about him. Once he was cleaned up I could see how worn out and tired he was._

_Leading him over to his bed, I got him to lay down with me. I held him while he told me about their latest outing. Before he fell asleep I found out that Hermione's leg had been badly broken by a giant's club while escaping from his cave with the Horcrux they found there._

_It was so nice lying beside Harry and holding him while he slept that I fell asleep too. I didn't wake up until Seamus came into the room. His outburst at seeing Harry and me in bed together woke me up. I managed to quiet him before he woke Harry up by threatening him with a Bat- Bogey Hex.  I then proceeded to tell him that if he told anyone about Harry and me that I would see to it that he never told anything to anyone ever again. I think he believed me. I got back to my own room without anyone seeing me._

_March 31, 1997 - They're off again. This is the last Horcrux. Once it's destroyed, Harry will have to face Voldemort. I'm scared. The prophecy says that only one will survive. Voldemort's so powerful and while Harry is a strong wizard, I'm afraid he won't be strong enough. Only Dumbledore's words that Harry has a strength that Voldemort knows not gives me encouragement._

_April 11, 1997 - They're back. The last Horcrux has been destroyed and Harry is in Professor McGonagall's office, explaining what they've been doing and arranging for the Order to meet tonight. I told Harry that I wanted to be at the meeting so he's going to have my parents come to the school to ask them._

_That stupid Bloody prat! Damn you to hell Harry Potter! You promised me! You promised you'd never let me go again. YOU PROMISED! It's a good thing Mum took my wand, Harry or you'd be hurting worse than I am right now. You said you'd never make me cry again and look at me, crying like a baby. I hate you Harry. I love you so much and you say you love me but then you do something stupid like this. Don't you know that I'm supposed to be by your side by now? We're meant to be together, you and I. Not just in the good times but the bad ones too. I should be with you when you face Voldemort. Not hiding somewhere safe but fighting beside you. I meant what I said Harry. If you don't change your mind and let me fight beside you, I'll never forgive you. We live or die together Harry._

_April 14, 1997 - I'm due to leave with the last of the students this afternoon. Harry still hasn't changed his mind. He tried to talk to me last night but I told Hermione that unless Harry was here to apologise and let me stand beside him then I had nothing to say to him. DAMN YOU HARRY! Why can't you just let me be with you?_

_He's changed his mind! Right before I was to go down the tunnel to Honeydukes, Harry pulled me away and into an empty classroom. I was so mad that I really gave him what for. If I'd had my wand believe me it wouldn't of been pleasant. After yelling at each other for a while, he tried reasoning with me. You'd think he'd have learned his lesson last time he tried that. He finally gave in when I told him that he might be able to make me leave the school but there was no way he could stop me from coming back unless he planned to have me bound and guarded. Once he realized that I was serious, he gave in. Making up afterward was brilliant! Not that we shagged or anything but still -- brilliant!_

_When we came out of the classroom, Mum and Dad tried to make me leave. When I told them that if they stopped me from standing beside Harry, I'd leave on my seventeenth birthday and they'd never see me again, they consented to let me stay. They're my parents and I love them, but Harry is where my future lies even if it means I die beside him._

_April 15, 1997 - It's early, but Harry's off to talk to Remus. We stayed up most of the night talking and we made a blood pact with each other. After Harry leaving me twice, I wasn't about to have him do it a third time. If we survive the upcoming battle Harry and I are going to go somewhere far away where it's just the two of us. We're going to forget everything and start over. I know I won't be of age for another four months, and my parents will throw a fit about it, but we're going just as soon as it's over._

_We're not going to put it off and finish school, or help set the wizard world right. We're going to be selfish and take care of us first. We'll worry about everyone else later. He's done enough as it is. It's time for Harry to be happy and I want to be the one who makes him happy._

_No, we didn't shag each other senseless. In fact, we didn't shag at all, but we did go a lot further than we ever have before. Have I mentioned that I love Harry Potter?"_

"Well, that's it then. We know what happened to us," Sam said softly as Lily closed the journal.  

Placing the journal on the floor beside her, Lily crawled up into Sam's lap and wormed her way into his arms. How long they stayed like that they couldn't later say. 

Only when Skye came into the room and climbed into their laps did they break the silence around them. 

"Hey Princess, how's my girl?" Sam said as he kissed her on top of her head.  

"Grammy and Papa sent me up to check on you." 

"They did?" Lily asked hugging her small daughter. "Maybe we should go down and let them know we're all right then." 

"Did you find what you were looking for?" asked Skye. 

"Yes, baby. We did." 

"Was this really your room, Mummy, when you were a little girl?" 

"I don't remember, baby, but that's what Grammy says, so it must be true." Lifting Skye from her lap, Lily picked up the journal before standing up.  

Holding out her hand she said, "Come on Sam. Let's go tell them what we've found."  

After helping him up, Lily took Skye's hand and led them out of the room.  

********** 

Arthur was the first one to notice the journal in Lily's hand when they came into the parlor. "Did you find something?" he asked. 

Holding up the journal Lily said, "Yes, the final entry pretty much says what happened. Shall I read it or just tell you what it says?" 

"Read it please." 

Opening the journal, Lily began reading the last entry.

Lily stopped reading having decided that she really shouldn't read the last part. She thought Ginny's parents probably didn't want to hear any details about their daughter's love life. 

There was silence when she finished until Hermione spoke up, "The power wave when Voldemort was destroyed must have triggered the pact sending you both to the island and erasing your memories."  

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, Harry James Potter!" Molly yelled looking from one to the other, "I can't believe the two of you could do something like this. What were you thinking? You were to youn...," Molly stopped as Arthur put his hand on her shoulder and interrupted her. 

"Molly, it's over. There's nothing to be gained by yelling at them now. I'm sure that what happened isn't what they planned on." 

"But Arthur, Ginny was only sixteen. She was going to go away with him, with or without our permission." 

"Molly, they were going to come to us after the battle. If things had happened the way they planned, I'm sure that we could have talked them into waiting until she was of age. They were both reasonable and mature and I'm certain that they would have done the right thing." 

Wanting to get everyone's thinking back on what Lily had just read; Remus spoke, "What happened over six years ago can't be changed no matter how much we may want to. But maybe we can find a way to help Lily and Sam regain their memories." 

For the next two hours numerous thoughts and ideas were tossed about. By that time it was getting rather late and people started flooing home.  

Sam tried to talk Lily into trying out the bed in her old room but Skye asked if her and Ginny could sleep in Mummy's room so they flooed back to Comfort Hollow with Ron and Hermione, little Fred having gone home with Percy's sons. 

********** 

The next day found them sitting on the floor in Ginny's bedroom going through the rest of Ginny's journals and then through Harry's school trunk. The only thing they came away with after going through Ginny's things was an understanding of just how much Ginny had been infatuated with and later truly loved Harry.   

In Harry's school trunk they found a small photo album. Opening it there was a picture of a young couple holding a small dark-haired baby. Hermione, who was helping them go through stuff told them that it was a picture of Harry and his parents.  

Giving Lily a questioning look Hermione asked, "Lily, how did you come by your name?" 

"Sam had already picked his name and I was still trying to decide on what I wanted to be called when I found a white and yellow flower that reminded me of a lily so that's the name I chose." 

Pointing to the picture, Hermione said, "Harry's mother's name was Lily. Lily Ann Evens. She was Muggleborn.  

"Your joking, right?" Lily asked.  

"No, her name really was Lily. What are the odds you'd pick her name."  

"What was my father's name?" Sam asked. 

"His name was James. James Wiglaf Potter. He and your mother fell in love at Hogwarts. They were both in Gryffindor just like you and Lily were."  

The next page showed more pictures of Harry and his parents along with a young Remus and another dark-haired man. 

"I know that this is Remus," Sam said pointing to one of the pictures, "but who's the man next to him?" 

"That's Sirius Black. He was your father's best friend and your godfather. He died in the fight we had at the Department of Mysteries during our sixth year. He was the last of his line and left everything to you when he died." 

"Were we close?" 

"You both wanted to be but you only really knew him for little more than two years before he was killed. He was falsely accused of betraying your parents and sent to Azkaban prison for twelve years before he escaped and found you at Hogwarts. He and your father were both unregistered Animagi, they could change into animals, your father was a stag and Sirius a large black dog. They called themselves Prongs and Padfoot. Remus was Moony"  

"Moony?  What did he turn into?" 

Hermione sucked in a sharp breath as she looked up at Sam, "Oh, Sam! I keep forgetting that you don't remember any of this. No, Remus isn't an Animagi. He's a werewolf. Your father and Sirius became Animagi so that they could be with him during the full moon." 

"You're having me off aren't you? A werewolf, there's no such thing, right?" 

"I'm not kidding Sam. Remus really is a werewolf. That's why he was called Moony. Because he changed with the full moon." 

Sam shook his head in amazement, "Next you'll be telling me that dragons and unicorns are real too." 

Hermione gave him a solemn look as she replied, "They are. In fact Ginny's brother Charlie worked with dragons. Just so you know, so are giants, centaurs, ghosts, and a lot of other creatures you don't remember." 

Sam was stunned by Hermione's statement. Turning to Lily he said, "I don't think I'll ever complain about our island. At least we know what to expect there." 

"That's true, Sam, but wouldn't you like to see a real dragon or maybe a unicorn?"  Have you ever seen a unicorn Hermione?" Lily asked. 

"Yes, in our world there are all kinds of amazing creatures. I've seen dragons, giants, a troll, goblins, and ghosts. In our fourth year at Hogwarts Harry had to get a golden egg away from a dragon during the Triwizard Tournament and during our first year he and Ron saved me from a troll. Hogwarts is full of ghosts. Nearly Headless Nick is the Gryffindor ghost." 

"I think I'll stick with our island, Hermione. It sounds like Harry's had enough experience for the both of us," Sam said. 

As Lily turned to the last page of the photo album a letter fell out and landed face down on the floor. Picking it up, Lily turned it over. The letter was addressed to Ginny.  

Looking to Sam, Lily asked, "Should I open it?" 

"It's addressed to you. Well maybe not you but to Ginny and you were... I mean are... Oh bloody hell! Just open it." 

Opening it Lily read it out loud. 

_Dear Ginny,_

_I hope you never have a chance to read this because if you do then that means that once again I've left you only this time against my will._

_I must have failed when I faced Voldemort, or died with him, but please know that I tried my best not to leave you. I love you Ginny. I never thought I'd know what true love was until I met you. You've shown me what that is. Why you loved me, I'll never know, but I hope I was able to show you just how much your love meant to me and just how much I loved you._

_You're also probably wondering why I left everything to Remus and Ron and not to you. Maybe I should have, but then, Remus has been like a father to me. He doesn't realize it yet but Tonks loves him. I want him to be able to have some happiness in his life and Tonks can do that. He'll never ask her to be with him the way things are now, so I'm leaving him a house and money to help things along._

_As for Ron, he and Hermione love each other as much as we loved each other. Hermione is my sister. Maybe not by blood, but in every other way she is my sister, just as you are Ron's. That being the case, I want her to be happy. You know as well as I do that Ron has a hard time showing his feelings. Look how long it took them to get together. I wrote him a letter telling him to get off his arse and ask Hermione to marry him and buy her a house or I'd come back and kick his arse. You'll have to kick it for me to see to it that he does. I want her taken care of just as I would have taken care of you. Ron knows that if you ever need anything, you'll have it. I may have left the money to him, but it's just as much yours. He's to look after you for me since I'm not there to do it myself._

_This is the hardest part for me to write, Ginny. The thought of someone else holding you, touching you, kissing you drives me mad, but I want you to be happy too. I want you to live your life to the fullest. You're so full of love and life, I don't want you to not receive love in return. Let me go and in time, find someone worthy of you. If it's right, marry him. Have children. Live the life you deserve._

_If there's a life after this one then we'll see each other again. I loved you Ginny. I'll always love you._

_Harry_

Hermione hugged Sam, her voice unsteady as she whispered to him, "Thank you for thinking of me as your sister. You don't know how much that means to me. I've always thought of you as my brother and it's nice to know that you felt the same." Hermione kissed him on the cheek before hugging him again, "I haven't thanked you for my home yet, have I? Ron would never have built it for me if it wasn't for your letter to him. He wouldn't touch any of the money you left him up until then. He kept saying that it was for you and Ginny to have a home where you could be happy and he wasn't going to profit from your death by spending any of it. He wouldn't let me read your letter so I don't know what you told him, but whatever it was, thank you," she said as she released him. 

"Ouch!" Sam yelled as Lily's fist connected sharply with his arm. "What'd you do that for?" 

"For being a stupid prat and thinking that I'd ever be happy with anyone but you, that's what for. How dare you tell me to let you go and find someone else," Lily said brokenly before burying herself in his arms. "I love you Sam. There could never be anyone else, ever." 

Watching the two of them in their borrowed clothes and bare feet, Hermione got the idea to take them to Diagon Ally for a shopping trip the next day. Ron had taken the money Harry left him and divided it in half, saving one half as Harry's, before buying the property and building their house. They still had almost half of his half left afterwards. That's how rich Harry had been.  

When Hermione mentioned going on a shopping trip, Lily had been excited and said that she'd love to go and see everything but didn't think they'd do much shopping, as they had no money. Hermione then told them about the money Ron had set aside as Harry's. Sam and Lily had been steadfast in not accepting it until that night when Ron insisted that it belonged to them more than it did to him now that they were back from the dead. He even went so far as to say that he would pay them back all the money he'd used building Hermione's home. At that Sam had agreed to accept the money only if Ron agreed to accept the house and the money he had left as a wedding present from him and Lily. After some arguing they'd both agreed.  

After flooing Percy's to see if Penny could manage the shop in Hogsmeade for him, Ron was able to go with them.  

********** 

 


	14. Chapter 14: Diagon Alley

Chapter Fourteen: Diagon Alley 

September 25, 2004 

Lily was excited. Today Hermione and Ron were taking her and Sam to a place called Diagon Alley, the wizard shopping mecca in London.  She was almost bouncing with excitement as she waited for everyone to finish getting ready.  

She was wearing her same old borrowed clothes, a pair of warm socks and old worn trainers, plus a cloak from Ginny’s room. Ginny’s old clothes were too small for her now. Sam, who was standing next to her, was wearing his borrowed clothes, socks, trainers, and a cloak from Harry’s school trunk as Harry’s old clothes no longer fit him either.  

Skye, who had begged them to let her come, was talking excitedly with Ginny. The two little girls had their hair done up in pigtails and Lily smiled at how pretty her daughter looked all dressed up in some of Ginny’s clothes. Freddy had decided to go over to the Burrow with Percy’s boys to play. 

“All right, is everyone ready?” Hermione asked as she came into the living room.  

“Yes Mummy,” Ginny called out as she and Skye grabbed Lily’s hands. 

“Ron, hurry up. Everyone’s waiting on you.” 

“All right, I’m coming. We’ve got all day I don’t see what the rush is all about,” Ron said as he walked up to Hermione. 

“If you’re going to grumble all day you can just stay here. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine without you.” Hermione stated as she looked at her unhappy husband. 

“Hermione, it’s not that I don’t want to go, it’s the fact that we’re going so early. I thought we could sleep in, you know, and go a little later.” 

Hermione blushed as what Ron was implying sank in. Pushing the rather pleasant thought from her mind, Hermione said, “Ron why don’t you take Ginny and go first. That way you can be there when Lily and Skye arrive. I’ll let Sam go and then I’ll come last.” 

Hermione watched as Sam stepped into the fireplace and flooed away. Grabbing a fist full of floo powder, she followed. 

********** 

When Hermione arrived, she couldn’t help but laugh at the looks on Lily’s and Sam’s faces. It was a bright sunny day with just a bit of a nip in the air and Diagon Alley was crowded for a Wednesday. All around them street venders were hocking their wares while a steady stream of people flowed around them. Diagon Alley had changed a lot after the war. There were new stores everywhere and new things to see where ever the eye looked and Sam and Lily were trying to take everything in at once. 

Taking Ginny and Skye’s hands, Hermione looked at Ron, “Why don’t you take Sam and Lily to Gringotts so they can set up their account and I’ll take the girls with me to Flourish and Blott’s.  You can meet us there when you’re finished and we can go get something to eat afterwards. Oh, and don’t forget to pull some money out Ron.” 

Sam felt a sense of déjà vu as he walked into the wizard bank. The feeling only got stronger as they went through the process of setting up an account. When the goblin they were talking to found out their true identities, it almost caused some major problems with Harry’s will having been executed by the bank over six years ago. Sam had to sign numerous forms and documents stating that the execution of his will was to remain in effect and that the bank was in no way responsible for the premature execution of it. Once that was taken care of, it was a fairly simple matter to set up their new account and have Ron transfer money into it from his and Hermione’s account. 

The ride to and from their new vault only deepened Sam’s feelings of having been there before and he was happy when they were able to leave the bank with both his and Lily’s pockets filled with Galleons.  

********** 

After meeting up with Hermione and the girls and getting a bite to eat, they all went to _Maurice’s Magical Styling Salon_ where all the girls had their cut and styled while Ron and Sam just had theirs cut.  

It was while Sam was waiting for Lily to be finished that he first noticed some of the older witches and wizards looking in his direction and whispering to each other. Shrugging it off as them being interested because of his darkly tanned skin in September, Sam though nothing of it. 

Later, after they’d been in several different shops, Sam noticed a growing number of people around them. A sense of unease filled him as he watched the crowd around them grow. He could see people whispering and pointing at him and Lily and then to Ron and Hermione.  

Coming out of a candy shop, Sam was blinded as flashes of white light exploded in his face. Blinking his eyes rapidly he heard someone shout, “It’s him. It’s Harry Potter.”  A woman’s voice shouted out, “That’s Ginny Weasley with him.”  

As his eyesight started to clear, Sam found himself being grabbed and pulled around by the fast growing crowd, the packages he’d been carrying falling to the ground. Looking around for Lily he saw her trying to make her way to him as people grabbed at her too. He was relieved to see Ron and Hermione shielding the two little girls before he lost sight of them.  

Hearing Lily calling out his name, Sam started pushing his way toward her. He felt his cloak rip as someone grabbed it. He redoubled his efforts to reach Lily as her cries became more frantic. When he reached her, her cloak was gone and a man holding onto the sleeve of her blouse yanked her so hard the sleeve ripped right off taking part of the shirt with it. Taking hold of the man, Sam swung him around and knocked him to the ground before hugging a scared and frightened Lily tightly to him. His action caused the crowd to stop for a moment before it surged toward them again.   

Pulling Lily quickly up against the building, Sam shoved her behind him as the crowd closed in on them. Just before the crowd overran them, George, Ron, Luna, and Tonks in her Aurors robes, appeared in front of him with their wands out and ready.  

“STAY BACK!” Tonks shouted, her voice magically amplified. “FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR BEING STUNNED!”  As she finished she sent a shower of red sparks out over the crowd.  

“That’s him. Harry Potter isn’t it?” A man shouted. “Everyone said he was dead.” Another voice called. “Where they been?” A steady stream of shouted questions assaulted Sam as the crowd pressed ever closer. 

“George, Ron, get them out of here now!” Tonks called out. “I don’t know how much longer we can keep them back.  

At Tonk’s words, Ron gathered Lily in his arms and vanished. As Sam stared at the spot she’d been in, George took hold of his arm. The next thing Sam knew, he was standing inside a shop of some sort being bowled over by a clearly relieved Lily and a very scared Skye. Seconds later Luna and Tonks appeared.  

Meanwhile George was locking the shop’s door and pulling shades down to cover the windows. Once finished, he turned to face them, “Welcome to _Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes,_ quite the reception that, wasn’t it? Won’t be long before everyone knows you’re back.” 

They all jumped as a loud knocking shook the shop’s door. Tonks drew her wand as she walked over and pushed aside the doors shade. Relaxing, she unlocked the door and stood aside as Arthur, Remus, and Kingsley Shacklebolt entered.   

“Is everyone alright?” Arthur asked as he rushed over to where Sam and Lily stood holding their daughter and each other. Seeing the state Lily’s blouse was in he quickly removed his cloak and draped it around her. “Are you alright Gin… Lily?” he asked.  

Releasing Sam, Lily threw herself into her father’s arms, “Why did they attack us Daddy? Why?” 

Surprised, Arthur just stood there for a moment before hugging his daughter tightly, “I don’t know honey. I just don’t know but I can guarantee it won’t happen again.” 

“Arthur’s right. It won’t happen again,” Kingsley said as he came over to stand by them. “I’ve got Aurors out there now clearing away the crowd and there will be Aurors protecting your family as long as necessary.” 

********** 


	15. Chapter 15: Memories

Chapter Fifteen: Memories  

October 9, 2004 

After the incident in Diagon Alley, Sam and Lily hadn’t ventured back into the wizard world. Even with Aurors stationed around both the Burrow and Comfort Hollow, wards had to be put up to keep the reporters, the book agents, and the curious away. 

For days after the incident _The_ _Daily Prophet_ had ran pictures of both Sam and Lily along with old pictures of them with headlines screaming things like ‘Savior of Wizard World Returns’ and ‘Wizard Heroes Have Love-child’. Some of the articles were almost funny as they were so ridicules, while others bordered on being malicious.  

One such article was especially horrible as it had them becoming drug addicts in America where they’d lived on the streets doing unspeakable things to get money for their habits with the child being the result of said things. The article went on to suggest that a family friend on vacation in New York had recognized Ginny when she’d propositioned him outside his hotel. He, in turn, had notified her family who had rescued them from their sad life and placed them in a secret care facility for drug rehabilitation.   

When Sam and Lily had read that article, Molly, Arthur and the rest of the family had to cover their ears and place a silencing charm around the children at the things that poured out of Sam and Lily’s mouths. Never had anyone seen someone as angry as those two were.   

_Witch Weekly_ ran articles about Lily and Sam that had them doing everything from eloping and running away to live in India to joining a Muggle organization called the Peace Corps that helped people in third world countries. They’d even made the cover of _Which Broomstick_ with old pictures of them from their Quidditch days on the Gryffindor team at Hogwarts.  

After about a week of this, Arthur had sat down with Sam and Lily to try and talk them into letting Luna’s father interview them for his magazine, _The Quibbler_. At first they were against it but as they continued to talk he finally got them to agree. Arthur told them that while Jonas might seem a little strange, he was an honest and fair man that would print the truth.  

The article in _The Quibbler_ was to come out the next day and Lily and Sam were nervously waiting for the advanced copy Jonas promised to arrive. Lily almost knocked Sam over when an owl arrived at the kitchen window as she rushed to retrieve the magazine. Opening it, she rushed through the pages until she found the article. 

“Hey, no fair! You have to read it out loud or let me read it with you,” Sam said coming up beside her. He could see that one whole page contained a picture of him and Lily sitting on a couch with Skye, Hermione and Ron while Jonas sat in a chair across from them as they talked. The opposite page had a bold title that read: 

**‘An interview with Sam and Lily** **What really happened to Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley’**

**By Jonas Lovegood**  

“Come on Lily read it out loud.” 

Giving Sam a shaky smile Lily began reading. 

_“An interview with Sam and Lily – What really happened to Harry James Potter and Ginevra Molly Weasley by Jonas Lovegood._

_Everyone knows of the events leading up to the final battle against Lord Voldemort that took place on April 15, 1998 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Many fine witches and wizards became heroes that day as they fought against the Dark Lord and his army, a great many losing their lives in the process._

_But it was Harry Potter who saved the day when he defeated Voldemort just as the prophesy foretold. At Harry’s side that fateful day was a brave young girl: Ginevra Weasley, known by her family and friends as Ginny, who was the love of his life. This is a fact that I know to be true from having the privilege of reading passages from Ginny’s personnel journals along with a letter written to her from Harry on the eave of battle. Sadly, Harry and Ginny were lost that day along with so many others, or so we thought._

_Two days ago I had the honor of interviewing Sam and Lily. Her brother, Ron Weasley and his wife, Hermione Granger-Weasley, both heroes in their own right were also present to give their input to the story. What follows is the true story of what happened to Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley._

_The night before the battle, Harry and Ginny made a blood pact with each other. If they lived through the battle they would leave the wizard world and go someplace they could be alone and forget everything. They would start over, just the two of them, leaving family and friends behind in order to be together. Ginny felt that Harry had given enough of his life defending the wizard world and it was time for him to be happy. This was what Ginny wanted more than anything, to make Harry happy. They planned on telling her family before leaving as she was underage, but things didn’t work out as planned. In the blast of power given off when Voldemort was destroyed, Harry and Ginny vanished leaving everyone to believe they were dead._

_The day Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley vanished, Sam and Lily woke up together on a far away island completely alone. They didn’t know who or where they were. Having no names, they picked their own and for the next six and a half years lived, fell in love, and had a daughter, knowing each other only as Sam and Lily. If not for a birthday invitation sent by a little girl announcing her fourth birthday party, who knows how long Sam and Lily would have been alone on their island?_

_Ginevra Charlie Weasley, the daughter of Ron and Hermione, wanted to send a birthday invitation to her namesake aunt. Even though she’d been told that her Aunt Ginny was ‘gone’ she insisted. Using Harry’s owl, Hedwig, which Ron and Hermione had been caring for, little Ginny sent the invitation giving Hedwig instructions to deliver it to her Aunt Ginny._

_Imagine the shock the Weasley family received when Hedwig showed up one morning two months later with a letter from a person calling herself Lily attached to her leg with a strip of cloth from a Gryffindor school tie. They immediately knew it was from a daughter and sister that they’d been morning for years._ _With the help of Harry’s owl, the Weasley family along with Harry’s friend and surrogate father Remus Lupin and his wife, the renowned Auror Tonks, set out to find their lost ones and bring them home. Happily they found the ones they sought only to find that neither the woman, Lily, nor the man, Sam, knew who any of them were. All of Sam and Lily’s memories of their life before waking up on the island were gone._

_Can any of you imagine the pain of finding a long lost daughter or son, brother or sister and having them not know who you are?_  

_Lily and Sam have been back for not quite a month now and they still have no memories of their past lives and while they aren’t listed as being married at the Ministry they have lived together as a couple for over six years. Their time here is spent with family and friends going through photo albums and listening to stories of past days in the hope of something triggering their memories._

_Not long ago they attempted a trip to Diagon Alley. They were enjoying their first look at the wizarding world with their daughter, Skye, when they were assaulted by a crowd of people. The assault was so violent; Sam’s cloak was torn while Lily’s cloak was completely pulled from her body and her blouse almost ripped off before they were rescued by family members and their friend, the Auror Tonks. I can only say that I am ashamed and embarrassed by the way they were treated and I only hope that if they do once again venture out into our world that we treat them with the respect they have earned as heroes and as the savior of our way of life._

_Since that attack, stories have appeared in numerous wizard publications spouting all kinds of stories about Harry and Ginny. Some have been quite humorous while others have been vicious in nature. It was because of one of the latter sort that Sam and Lily agreed to let me interview them. They though that if the real story were known then people would leave them alone while they try to readjust to the wizarding world and reclaim their lost memories._

_Before I close, for those of you who have questions about their daughter, her name is Skye and her age is estimated to be around four and a half years of age. They don’t know what month or year she was born in as they had no way to measure time. She shows strong magical skills for her age and has her mother’s hair color and her father’s eyes._

_Now that you have their story, please give Sam and Lily the time they need. Harry and Ginny are gone for now. Maybe one day they will return. Friends are welcome to visit Sam and Lily at Comfort Hollow where they’re staying, but be warned, the family knows who their real friends were and are. Imposters beware!”_

********** 

October 10, 2004 

Lily was tossing and turning in her sleep as the dreams she was having raced through her mind. Sam… no… Harry was falling from his broom and there was nothing she could do but watch. She cried out in her sleep as he hit the ground. The next instant she was racing through a strange maze of rooms chased by figures in black robes and white masks. An instant later she was crying as Harry walked away from her. A moment later she was running down a white sand beach, the sun and wind playing over her naked body, as Sam raced to catch her. In the blink of an eye spells were flying at her as a fierce battle raged around her. Beside her Harry stood facing a horrid looking wizard with serpentine facial features and blood red eyes. She let out a moan of pain as a spell hit, dropping her to the ground at Harry’s feet. She watched as Harry knelt down and pulled her up, holding her tightly as he turned back to face his adversary, his face a mask of hate and determination. There was a flash of blinding white light and Lily sat up, her eyes wide open, gasping for breath as sweat poured from her body.  

Turning to wake Sam, she saw that he too was having troubling dreams as he thrashed and moaned in his sleep. Lying back down, she reached out to pull him to her, wanting to comfort him, but jerked back as he sat straight up, his arms outstretched, and shouting out, “GINNY! NO…,”  a look of pure horror in his wide staring eyes. 

Sam jumped as Lily sat up and wrapped her arms around him pulling him into a warm and comforting hug. “It’s all right love. Just a bad dream. I’m right here, Sam. I’m here,” she said softly feeling the beat of his racing heart as she held him. 

A shudder ran through Sam’s body as he relaxed against her. With a start, he broke away, his hands flying up to cup her face as his fear filled eyes searched her face. “You’re here!” He said as he ran his hand gently along the side of her face, “I thought I’d lost you. When the curse hit and you fell, I thought I’d lost you forever,” he whispered.  

Lily placed a feather light kiss on his forehead before pulling him to her, his face resting between her bare breasts as she held him. “It was just a dream, love. That’s all.” 

“But it was so real. We were in the middle of a battle and you were hit with some kind of a spell or something. When you fell at my feet I thought I’d lost you. I knelt down and pulled you into my arms and you were completely limp. I was so afraid that you were dead.” 

“Sam, was there a horrid looking man with the face of a snake and red eyes in your dream?” Lily asked her body tense as she waited for his answer 

“How did you know?” Sam asked as he sat up to face her. 

“Because I had the same dream, that’s what woke me up. We were fighting side by side and you were facing that horrid man. I fell and you knelt down to pull me into your arms. Then there was a flash of blinding white light and I woke up. Only it wasn’t me in the dream, it was Ginny and you called out Ginny’s name when you woke up too.” 

“I did?” Sam looked at her, a puzzled look on his face. “Now that you mention it, you called me Harry just before you were hit. Maybe we’re starting to remember things Lily. Maybe the dreams are telling us that it’s time let go and undo the blocks we placed on our minds.” 

“I don’t know if I want to remember Sam,” Lily said as she laid her hand against his face. “Remember Ginny’s journals? Remember the pain she wrote about when Harry left her? Or the pain you suffered when Sirius and Dumbledore were killed. I don’t know if I’m ready to feel all of that again are you? Ginny also lost two brothers that she loved. She never knew they died so she never mourned them. I don’t remember them so while I’m sad they died, it doesn’t really hurt me. If I regain all of Ginny’s memories, then I’ll remember them and I’ll have their deaths to deal with too.” 

Seeing the uncertainty in Lily’s eyes, Sam hugged her to him. “You won’t be alone Lily. We have each other and we have Skye. As long as we’re together we can get through anything.” Feeling Lily relax against him, Sam continued, “Let’s not worry about it now. We’re not even sure how to remove the blocks. Let’s just promise each other that we’ll be there to support one another when and if our memories return, okay.” 

Lily sighed as she wormed her way into Sam’s comforting arms, feeling the love radiating from him as he held her tighter. “All right, Sam, we’ll be there for each other,” her soft voice said. Lifting her head, Lily’s eyes searched Sam’s, “I love you Sam. More than anything I love you. You know that don’t you?” 

Sam’s heart swelled as he looked into Lily’s eyes. The love he saw reflected there reminding him of the first time Lily told him that she loved him when they were playing in the pool. It was also the first time they’d made love. His voice broke as he replied, “I know, Lily. You’re my heart and my soul. I love you Lily, always and forever, I love you.” As he finished talking, his lips met hers, the kiss deepening and becoming more passionate as they lost themselves in each other. 

Later as they lay in bed unwilling to get up now that the sun was up they heard Ron’s voice carry into their bedroom as he shouted out, “Hermione, you’re pregnant!”  

Whatever Hermione said in return they didn’t hear but it caused Ron’s voice to get louder, “You’ve bloody well know since then and I’m only finding out now!”  

This time they could hear Hermione’s reply as her voice rose to match his, “I didn’t tell you then because you would have tried to stop me from going to find Harry and Ginny!” 

“Bloody right I would have!” 

“See, that’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d be a stupid prat like always!” 

There was the sound of a door slamming as the house became quiet once again. 

********** 

October 15, 2004 

Since the incident in Diagon Alley, Sam and Lily refused to return there or anywhere else in the wizard world. Still needing clothes and shoes, having lost everything they’d bought in Diagon Alley, Hermione was going to take them shopping at Muggle stores in London today. Ron had gone to Gringotts after work yesterday and changed their Galleons into Muggle Pounds for them so that they could get an early start. 

They’d arrived at the Burrow early as Molly had agreed to watch the children for them. While Molly greeted the children, Lily had volunteered to make everyone a cup of tea.  She had just filled the teapot with water when she saw George appear outside the kitchen window. Expecting him to come in, she was curious when he seemed to give a big sigh before heading away from the house and started up the hill behind it. 

Giving in to her curiosity, Lily sat the teapot down and slipped quietly out the kitchen door where she proceeded to follow George up the hill. When she got to the top of the hill she saw George kneeling in front of one of four gravestones inside a white picket fence. Not wanting to disturb him, she carefully walked closer. 

Stopping just outside the fence, Lily could hear George talking softly, “…news for you. Ginny and Harry aren’t dead like we all thought. Course you probably already knew that didn’t you, Fred? They’ve been living alone on an island all this time and guess what? They have a daughter. Our little sister’s a mother, Sounds strange, right? We always knew those two would get together, didn’t we? Anyway, their daughter’s name is Skye and she has Ginny’s hair and Harry’s eyes. She has quite the talent for magic too. You’d like her, Fred. I know you would.”  

As George continued to talk, Lily’s eyes traveled over the four gravestones and she read the names on them.   

Charles Prewitt Weasley – December 12, 1972 – April 15, 1998 

Fredrick Gideon Weasley – April 1, 1978 – April 15, 1998 

Ginevra Molly Weasley – August 11, 1981 - April 15, 1998 

Harry James Potter – July 31, 1980 - April 15, 1998 

Her breath caught in her throat as it registered that these were the graves of her brothers and herself and Sam. Hearing George’s voice break, she looked back at him, catching the last of what he was saying, “…miss you Fred.”  It was then that she noticed the small moving picture he was touching. Looking quickly at the other gravestones she saw that each one had a picture on it.  

As Lily’s eyes traveled from picture to picture to George and back a growing since of panic grew inside her. This feeling continued to grow as her eyes narrowed their travel between the pictures of Charlie and Fred and Georges kneeling form. She was unaware of the tears that rolled down her face as her eyes darted faster and faster between the three.  

Like a dam bursting, her lost memories washed over her as her life as Ginny flashed into being, Charlie comforting her when she’d fallen and hurt her knee, Fred and George teasing her, watching Ron leaving for Hogwarts, visiting Bill in Egypt, Percy’s leaving the family, the first time Harry kissed her, it all came back to her in waves that pounded at her mind, forcing her to remember.   

With the flood of memories also came the realization that her brothers were gone, bringing with it an overwhelming agony that was so strong she let out a loud quivering wail of pain as she collapsed to the ground crying uncontrollably as their loss settled inside her. She was completely unaware of George as he rushed to her side and gathered her into his arms. Unable to get any response from Lily, George picked her up and made a mad dash toward the Burrow yelling for help as he ran. 

Hermione had just entered the kitchen to see what was taking Lily so long when she heard George’s shouts for help. Rushing out the kitchen door, she saw him running towards her with Lily in his arms. Shouting over her shoulder for Sam and Molly, Hermione set out at a run to intercept them. 

When Hermione reached George, he was panting heavily as he struggled to maintain his hold on Lily’s crying form. “George, what’s wrong? What’s happened to her?” 

“I don’t know. I was visiting Fred’s grave, then there was this screech that scared the shite out of me.” Dropping down, George placed Lily on the ground as Hermione sat down and gathered Lily to her. George continued talking as he looked worriedly from Lily to Hermione, “When I turned around, she was lying on the ground crying like this. I tried to get her to talk to me but it’s like she doesn’t hear me. Do something, Hermione.”  

Hermione was holding Lily, rocking her as she softly talked to her when Sam, with Molly close behind, dropped down next to her. “What’s wrong?” Sam asked as he tried to take Lily from Hermione.  

“My baby, what’s wrong with my baby girl?” Molly cried falling down next to everyone. 

Lily shocked Sam as she fought her way out of his and Hermione’s grasp and buried herself in Molly’s arms as sobs continued to pour from her. Hugging her crying daughter, Molly whispered softly to her as she rubbed and patted her back, “It’s all right love, I’ve got you. It’s all right baby. Everything’s fine. I’ve got you now.”  

Sam was unsure what to do as he sat beside Molly and Lily listening to her heartbreaking sobs. Every once in a while he’d reach over and gently brush his hand over her hair. After what seemed like hours, Lily’s sobs subsided and she lay quietly in Molly’s arms.  

Minutes later, her face red, puffy, and tear streaked, Lily pushed away from Molly and facing them said, “I remembered. Charlie and Fred, I remembered them. My memories came back.” 

********** 

November 5, 2004 

Sam couldn’t help staring at Lily’s naked bum as she bent over to pick up their dirty clothes. Every since she’d gotten her memory back, Lily had refused to wear jeans insisting that they were uncomfortable now that her stomach was growing bigger and caused her to itch. With her memory came her use of magic and with it she had taken some of her old sun dresses and altered them to fit her. Those dresses were all she would wear and then only if she was around other people. If it was just her and Sam or Hermione or her mum she went naked. The first time she did this around Molly, her mother had almost had a stroke. But seeing that she couldn’t get her daughter to change her actions, Molly gave up and accepted it. 

Her actions, too, had become erratic. It was almost as if two people were fighting for control of her. She refused to go out into either the Muggle or magical world, content to stay at Comfort Hollow or the Burrow with her family and friends. Sometimes she was completely Lily and other times completely Ginny but most of the time it was a strange mixture of the two and Sam could tell it was causing her a lot of pain and uncertainty. She seemed to be at her best when it was just her and Sam together with Skye.  

Parvati had been by several times to check up on Lily and could find nothing physically wrong with her. She told everyone that it was just something that Lily would have to work through on her own to get her past memories and her life now into order. All they could do was give her support.   

Sam smiled as Lily straightened up and turned to face him balancing the bundle of clothes on her tight, rounded belly. “Laughing at the pregnant lady again are you?” she asked. 

“No. Just admiring how truly beautiful you are.” 

Lily was about to make a smart remark but stopped when she saw the almost worshipful way he was looking at her. Dropping the clothes, she hurried over to him and wrapped herself around him, hugging him tightly. “I love you so much Sam,” she whispered. “You know that don’t you?” she asked as she looked up at him. 

“I know love. I know.” Sam said as he held her tightly. 

“Hey Lily, where are your clot… Oh! Sorry,” Hermione said as she stopped just inside their room.  

Turning to leave, she stopped as Lily called out, “It’s okay Hermione.” Breaking away from Sam, she walked over and picked up the dropped clothes before following Hermione out of the room calling over her shoulder to Sam, “You need to get dressed and go rescue Mum from the kids. Hermione and I’ll have lunch ready by the time you get back.” 

When Sam returned over an hour later with the three noisy kids, Lily was wearing her yellow sundress which was Sam’s favorite. He remembered the first time she wore it. The dress was so thin the dark rose color of her nipples had shown through it and whenever she stood with the light behind her, it was almost as if she wasn’t wearing anything. Ron had come home and walked into the living room when Lily had been standing in front of the patio windows with the sun streaming in behind her. Upon seeing her, Ron’s face had turned beet red and he almost tripped himself trying to turn away from the sight of her body outlined by the light coming through the dress. Hermione and Sam had burst out laughing when Lily had told Ron to grow up and quit being such a prat but when Ron had refused to look at her, she’d shouted, “FINE!” and performed a concealment charm on the dress that hid her body completely. She’d had to do the same with the rest of her sundresses as they tended to have the same problem. Ron still had a hard time around her when she wore the yellow dress and would shake his head while muttering to himself whenever she walked by. His actions always caused Sam and Hermione to smile at one another. 

They’d almost finished lunch when there was a loud commotion outside and sounds of people yelling and fighting. Hermione and Lily grabbed their wands as Sam headed for the door. Telling the children to stay where they were the women quickly followed. Lily grabbed Sam and forced him behind her as he opened the door. “Stay back Sam. You don’t have a wand,” she said a trace of fear in her eyes as she looked at him before stepping out the door with her wand ready. Hermione pushed him aside as she too hurried out the door.  

When Sam finally made it outside he found Lily and Hermione staring in shock at four Aurors battling with a giant of a man. As Sam watched the huge man gave a great roar and threw two of the Aurors off as if they were nothing. He’d just picked up another when Hermione, regaining her senses, shouted out, “HAGRID STOP!” before rushing over and grabbing the arm of the remaining Auror just as he was preparing to hex the giant man. “STOP! EVERYONE JUST STOP!” she shouted.  

Her shouted words got through to the towering man and he managed to stop himself just as he was about to throw the Auror he was holding over his head. As his eyes focused on Hermione, a sheepish look over came him and giving her an apologetic look he sat the Auror down. “Sorry abou’ tha’ Hermione bu’ they was tryin’ ter stop me from seein’ Harry.” As the words left his mouth, a frantic look crossed his face, “He’s here righ’? He ain’ dead after all?” His eyes pleaded with Hermione to tell him that Harry was alive. 

“Harry’s here, Hagrid,” a voice at his side said softly. 

At the sound of the voice, Hagrid turned and as his eyes fell upon Ginny his face broke out in a huge shinning smile as he grabbed her up in a bone crushing hug. “Ginny! It’s true then. Yer both alive.” He said his voice choked with emotion as enormous tears of joy streaked down his face.  

“Hagrid…can’t breathe…Hagrid,” Ginny gasped out. 

Hearing her, Hagrid reluctantly released her and sat her gently back down on the ground. Only as she stepped back did he notice her round protruding belly.  A look of concern and fear crossed his face as he asked, “I didn’ hurt yeh, did I?” 

Ginny smiled up at him before stepping forward and hugging him, “No I’m fine. It’s so good to see you again, Hagrid.”  

As she stepped back, Hermione jumped in and threw her arms around Hagrid hugging him as tightly as she could, “Hagrid, where have you been? I’ve been so worried about you.” Releasing him she stepped back and looked up at him as she waited for an answer. 

Hagrid was surprised as he noticed that Hermione, too, was pregnant. His attention was so focused on the two women that he’d failed to see Sam standing off to one side staring at them, his face frozen with a look of distress as his eyes traveled rapidly over the three of them. 

Sam stood frozen in place as he stared at the man towering over Lily and Hermione. The man was over ten feet tall it seemed and his long, gray streaked hair and beard along with his immense size gave the impression of a huge bear. He was wearing a long black trenchcoat over dark trousers and dark shirt while his feet were incased in huge black boots.  

As Sam watched first Lily then Hermione hug the giant man, Sam’s mind was flooded with images. A giant dark form filling a doorway as lighting and thunder lit up the dark sky behind it, a huge smiling man handing him a caged white owl while saying “Happy birthday Harry”, the same great man being lead from a room telling him to “follow the spiders” as he and Ron hid under some kind of a cloak.  

Sam’s eyes were now flying from the man to Hermione and Lily. As they did more and more images flowed into Sam’s mind. A very young Hermione cowering under a row of sinks as a troll bashed them with his club trying to get her, Ginny kissing a boy and the feelings of extreme jealousy that accompanied it, Hermione in a hospital bed, Ginny holding his hand and smiling up at him. Sam’s head began to pound and he rubbed his forehead as the memories came faster and faster. The red eyed man with the snakelike features laughing as Ginny fell at Harry’s feet and then the blinding flash of white light.  

Whatever Hagrid was going to say in answer to Hermione was forgotten as Sam let out a loud groan of pain as he fell to the ground clutching his head.   

Lily was immediately beside him, “Sam, what’s wrong? Are you alright? “ she asked, her face filled with concern. 

Instead of answering her, Sam let out another groan as he laid on the ground his head rolling from side to side while his eyelids fluttered rapidly on his pain wracked face. 

By this time Hermione and Hagrid had joined Lily at Sam’s side. They watched anxiously as Lily pulled Sam into her lap hugging him tightly as she murmured softly to him. 

Even though the sun was shinning it was still November and cold out and the breeze blowing through the nearby trees didn’t help any. “Lily, should we try to get him into the house?” Hermione asked as Hagrid looked on his face lined with worry. 

“I’ll carry him if yeh wan’ Ginny,” Hagrid said getting down on his knees beside her. 

As Lily continued to talk softly to him as she gently ran her hands through his hair and over his face, Sam slowly calmed down and his groaning subsided. Looking up at Hermione and Hagrid, Lily said, “I think he’s all right now. He’s remembering. He’s getting his memories back.” 

Leaning back down, Lily spoke gently, “Its okay Sam. I’ve got you. I’m right here. I love you Sam. I’ll always love you.” She said as she continued to stroke his hair. 

“It’s true then. Yeh both los’ yer memories?” Hagrid asked glancing from Harry to Ginny. 

Without looking up, Lily said, “Yes it’s true but I regained my memories a couple of weeks ago. Sam’s just now remembering his. Seeing you must of triggered something.” 

“Well then it’s a good thing I came along, innit,” Hagrid said. 

Having cast a warming spell over them, Hermione spoke, “Speaking of which, where have you been Hagrid? Ron and I have been trying to find you forever.” 

Hagrid’s face turned red as he looked away from Hermione, “I know yeh have,” he said, “Ron almos’ had me in Ireland, came real close ter walkin’ righ’ in on him an’ Shamus.  Didn’ wan’ him ter see me so I hid ou’ until he left.” 

“Oh, Hagrid! Why did you . . .” Hermione stopped as Sam’s eyes opened. 

Sam blinked his eyes a few times as he tried to focus on the faces peering down at him. As his vision cleared he smiled weakly up at Lily, “You were right. Remembering is painful.” Reaching out he took her hand in his, “I’m so sorry for the way I treated you, Ginny. I was trying so hard to protect you that I didn’t even think about how much I was hurting you. I hope I’ve done better by you, Lily.”  

“It’s all right, love,” Lily said as she continued to run her fingers through his hair. “I never stopped loving you then as Harry and I love you now more than ever, Sam.” 

As they gazed into each others eyes, Sam reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek, “I love you.” 

The moment was broken when Hagrid let out a loud sniffle. Sam looked over to see him wiping his eyes with a large bright red handkerchief.  “Hey Hagrid, it’s good to see you.” 

The next few hours flew by as they all sat around the kitchen table, Hermione having magically enlarged the room and a chair so that Hagrid was comfortable, talking of old times and friends as Hagrid ate the lunch Hermione insisted he eat. The children had been somewhat leery of the giant man but were soon put at ease by his friendly manner. In fact Hagrid was thoroughly smitten when Skye and Ginny climbed up into his lap and called him Uncle Hagrid.  Freddy thought it was to girly for him to sit in Hagrid’s lap but he too started calling Hagrid ‘Uncle’. 

As night started to fall, Hagrid told them that he had to get going. Hermione tried to get him to stay just until Ron came home but after much debate between them all, he insisted that he had to leave. When Sam asked him what the rush was, Hagrid replied that he wanted to get to Hogwarts before it got to late. He was going to ask Headmistress McGonagall if he could get his old job back as Gamekeeper and Keeper of the Keys. 

After getting him to promise to let them know the outcome, they waved goodbye to Hagrid as he walked out to the main road to catch the Knights Bus to Hogwarts.  

********** 

December 25, 2004 

Molly was in her element. She’d been up since the crack of dawn cleaning and cooking making sure that everything was just right. She was determined that nothing was going to spoil this Christmas, especially now that Ginny and Harry were finally Ginny and Harry again.  

With their memories back, they’d asked everyone to use their rightful names from now on but Molly had heard them call each other by the names they’d known each other by on the island a few times since then.  Ginny had explained to her later that while she’d fallen in love with the boy, Harry, first, it was the man, Sam that she’d grown to share her heart and soul with.  

Molly paused at her task of making treacle tarts as she looked out the kitchen window. She smiled as she remembered Harry’s whoops of delight as he and Ron chased each other on their brooms. Ginny had yelled at Harry to be careful while Hermione was telling Ron to take it easy on Harry before they’d taken off.  She chuckled at the looks on Ginny’s and Hermione’s faces when Harry took off and flew as if he’d never missed a day of flying in his life. Harry was a natural. No doubt about it. It was so good to see them all together again, laughing, bickering, and roughhousing as if nothing had ever happened. 

Looking down at the bowl in her hands, Molly continued with her task. The Burrow was going to be overflowing soon and she still had a lot to do. 

********** 


	16. Chapter 16: New Arrivals and Sudden Departures

Chapter Sixteen: New Arrivals and Sudden Departures 

March 17, 2005 

The women were having a girls’ night at Comfort Hollow. Ron and Harry, along with Freddy, had been banished to the Burrow where the men were having their own gathering.  At the moment the girls were all gathered in the living room sprawled out on the floor in front of the fireplace talking about the upcoming birth of Hermione and Ginny’s babies and making bets on what they’d be. So far the betting leaned toward boys which seemed like a safe bet as far as Hermione was concerned seeing as how boys tended to run in the Weasley family. For Ginny, the betting was split but still leaned toward a boy. The reasoning being that her first baby had been a girl so she was due for a boy. 

Luna was arguing with Penny in favor of Ginny having another girl when she abruptly stopped, jumped up and hurried over to Ginny and Hermione. Placing a hand on each of their stomachs she closed her eyes for a moment before turning to Molly and saying, “Molly, we need to get their bags and head to the hospital now. The babies are coming and their going to be born at the same time.” 

At Luna’s words the room had fallen silent. After a moment, Hermione gave a nervous laugh and said, “Oh come on. Luna’s just having a bit of fun.” 

Luna, her hands still on their stomachs, leaned forward and whispered, “I know what the babies are but I promise I won’t tell anyone.” Before leaning back she said, “You can squeeze my hands if you need too.” 

Ginny and Hermione gave each other a mystified look before turning back to Luna. Ginny started to say something but stopped as a hard contraction raced through her. Hearing a gasp beside her she turned to see Hermione suffering from a contraction, too. She didn’t even realize that she’d been squeezing Luna’s hand until Luna pulled it away and quickly moved from kneeling in front of her and Hermione. Luna was no sooner out of the way than Ginny felt her water break. Her gasp of surprise was mirrored by Hermione as her water, too, had broken. 

Molly was immediately by their sides, issuing orders, “Fleur, go to the Burrow and tell the men to meet us at the hospital then come back for the children. Penny, go get their bags, Luna, help me get them to the fireplace.” Minutes later the living room was empty. Fleur, with Bill to help with the children, were the last to leave. 

********** 

Ginny and Hermione lay side by side, their hands joined as contractions raced through them. Harry and Ron held their respective free hands as they sat by their wife’s side in the birthing room. Ron was looking a little green while Harry, who’d been through this before in much rougher circumstances seemed relatively calm as he stroked Ginny’s hair and whispered softly to her.  

After what seem hours to Ron, at precisely 11:45 pm Robert Grayson Weasley and Sam Potter made their arrival into the wizard world. At the sight of his son’s arrival in gush of liquid and blood, Ron’s eyes rolled up and his limp body fell to the floor.  

********** 

May 21, 2005 

Ginny wanted to go home.  In fact she felt as if she didn’t go home soon she’d go crazy. Feeling the walls of the living room closing in around her, she jumped up off the couch and rushed out to the enclosed patio. As she stood in the middle of the room with her arms folded tightly in front of her a feeling of panic rose up inside her causing her to start sobbing quietly. Unable to shake the feeling of being closed in, Ginny ran over, opened the door leading out to the garden, and ran out into the cold pouring rain leaving the door open behind her.  

It was after six when Harry exited the fireplace, having just returned from the Burrow with Skye and the twins in tow. “Ginny we’re back,” he called. Seeing Sam and Robert asleep on a blanket in front of the couch, he looked around for Ginny. Not seeing her, he thought she might be in the bedroom or maybe the loo. Admonishing the children to be quiet; he headed down the hallway to their bedroom to check.  Not finding her there or in any of the other rooms, Harry quickly returned to the living room. 

As he entered, Hermione and Ron stepped out of the fireplace, “Hello Harry. Did the kids give you any trouble today?” she asked looking at the twins.  

“What …. Oh no, they were fine, spent most of the day over at the Burrow.”  As he talked his eyes were searching the kitchen area.  Looking over to where his daughter and the twins were he asked, “Have you seen Mummy, Princess?” 

“No, Daddy,” Skye replied looking up from the new picture book that Grammy had given them. 

“I’m sure she’s here somewhere Harry. Did you check the loo?” Hermione asked. 

“She’s not there. I checked the rest of the rooms, too.” 

“How about the patio?” Ron asked. 

“No, but she would of heard us when we got here. I called for her when we arrived.” 

Just then there was a loud slamming sound from the patio. Running into the room Harry, Ron and Hermione saw a large puddle of water in front of the garden door. Hermione looked at Harry, “Surely she’s not outside in this rain,” she asked as she hurried over to the door. 

Exiting the patio, they stopped in shock at the sight before them. Ginny was standing naked in the middle of the garden, her arms outstretched as the beating rain lashed at her upturned face. Letting out a short cry of “Ginny”, Harry rushed over and pulled her tightly against him while Hermione quickly threw her cloak around Ginny’s shivering body. When Harry stepped back to wrap the cloak more firmly around her he noticed that her eyes had a glazed look and she was shivering so hard he was amazed she was able to stand.  

Hermione, seeing the state Ginny was in, immediately cast a warming spell over her before grabbing Harry’s arm, “Harry we need to get her inside now! I’ll go grab some towels. Ron, you watch the children.” 

Picking Ginny up, Harry hurried after Hermione. By the time Harry got her inside and to the bedroom, Hermione joined them and proceeded to rub Ginny’s legs and arms vigorously with a towel in an effort to get the circulation going.  

“What the bloody hell was she doing Harry?” Hermione said her voice strained with worry. 

“I don’t know, Hermione. She’ll be all right, won’t she?” 

“I don’t know, let’s just get her dry and into bed,” Hermione said. 

Pulling back the covers, Hermione cast a warming spell on the bed as Harry put Ginny on it.  

********** 

“Daddy, is Mummy okay?” Skye’s soft voice caused Harry to look up from where he’d been running his fingers through Ginny’s hair as he watched her sleeping beside him. 

Once Hermione was out of the room, Harry had gotten undressed and joined Ginny in bed pulling her tightly against him as he tried to warm her more.  

“Yeah, Princess, Mummy’s okay.” 

“Can I stay with you and Mummy?” Skye asked her small face on the point of tears. 

“Of course you can, Princess,” Harry said as he pulled back the covers, “come help me keep Mummy warm.” He watched as Skye hurried over and climbed up on the bed where she quickly removed her shoes and socks before pulling her dress off over her head.  

Naked, the little girl climbed under the covers next to her mother and wrapping her small arms around her whispered, “It’s okay Mummy, Daddy and I will keep you warm.” 

Reaching over, Harry ruffled his daughter’s hair, “With you helping me, Mummy’s sure to stay warm.” 

“Then I’m going to stay here all night and help you Daddy.”

**********

May 22, 2004

Harry hadn’t gotten much sleep what with worrying about Ginny and numerous visits from Hermione checking up on her.  Still he couldn’t help smiling as he watched his wife and daughter sleeping beside him.  They were spooned into each other like three spoons in a drawer. All they needed was their son, Sam to be complete. Hermione had assured him earlier that she would take care of Sam and not to worry about him. 

As he brushed a stray strand of hair out of Ginny’s face, she made a small noise and a moment later her eyes opened. She seemed to take a moment to orient herself before hugging her daughter and kissing her softly on the cheek. She then turned her head and gave Harry a sleepy smile, “Morning, Love,” she mumbled as she stretched lazily. Finished, she snuggled back against him, pulling his arm around her as she did. “I’ve missed this.” 

“How are you feeling?” he asked as he pulled her closer, “You gave me quite a scare last night.”

“What? What are you talking about, Harry?” Ginny asked as she rolled over to face him.

“You don’t remember standing naked in the middle of the garden in the pouring rain last night? Scared the shite out of me. Hermione spent half the night checking up on you.”

At first Ginny thought he was having her on, but as she looked into his eyes she realized that he was serious, “You’re not kidding are you?” she asked.

“No, I’m not kidding. I looked all over the place for you. Hermione and Ron had just arrived when we heard the garden door on the patio slam shut. We found you standing in the garden, in the rain, naked." 

As Harry talked, Ginny’s face registered first shock and then panic as she remembered the feelings of the room closing in on her and having to get away, “Harry! Take me Home! You promised you’d take me home when I asked! Please take me home now! Please Harry!” Ginny pleaded her voice full of desperation as she clutched his shoulder tightly.

“Hey, it’s all right, Love,” Harry said softly as he wrapped her in a gentle hug, “If you want to go home, then we’ll go home. Just tell me what’s wrong okay.

”They were still talking and making plans to leave when Hermione knocked softly on the door and stuck her head in. Seeing that they were awake, she stepped over to the bed, “How are you feeling Ginny?”

Ginny sat up and patting the bed said, “I’m good Hermione. Sorry for all the trouble. Come sit down. We need to talk."

Once Hermione was comfortable on the bed, Ginny told her, “We’re leaving. I need to go home. It’s too noisy with too many people and now that the Ministry knows we have our memories back they’ve been after Harry. I feel like I’m going crazy here. All I remember from last night were the walls closing in on me and this panicked feeling that I had to get away.  I’ve asked Harry to take me home. We’re going to use tomorrow for shopping then leave early Tuesday morning. “ Taking hold of Hermione’s hands, Ginny proceeded, “We need your help. We want you to come back with us and be our Secrets Keeper. We don’t want anyone other than our family to be able to find us or our island. Please, Hermione, help us.”

Hermione was so stunned it took her a minute before she was able to talk, “Secrets Keeper . . . me . . you’re sure . . . not  Ron? Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered that you’d pick me but shouldn’t it be Ron? After all, he’s Harry’s best mate.”

Ginny gave Hermione’s hands a squeeze as she replied, “That’s just it, Ron’s Harry’s best mate, not our best friend. You were our first friend on the island. Since then you’ve spent more time with us and you know us better than anyone else.. Not only do we trust you, Hermione, we love you. Please, will you do it?”

Her voice choked with emotion, Hermione managed to get out a shaky, “Yes, I’d be honored.”

“Is there going to a problem with you getting away? We want as few people as possible knowing that we’re leaving.” Harry said.

“No, there shouldn’t be any problems at all. In fact Ron and Percy are leaving on a business trip tomorrow for two weeks. They’re going to Salem, Massachusetts in America. Apparently there’s a wizard that want’s to open up a branch of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes there. I’ll just have to find someone to run the store for me while I’m gone.”

**********

May 23, 2005

Having enlisted Penny’s help in running the shop for her, Hermione had also talked Fleur and Bill into helping. Fleur was going to watch Penny’s children for her and had also agreed to watch Freddy and the babies while she, Ginny, Harry and the girls went shopping. Bill’s involvement was a promise not to tell anyone, especially Molly, that Ginny and Harry were leaving the next day. 

Waiting until Ron left to go meet Percy at the Ministry’s Portkey station, Hermione flooed over to Fleur’s house to drop off Freddy and the babies. When she returned, Harry, Ginny and the girls were ready to go.

The day was spent in a whirlwind of stores and small shops in both the Wizard and Muggle world. From the Muggle world came beach umbrellas, mahogany deck chairs, sandals, sarongs for Ginny and Skye, only to be worn if family was visiting, and various other items that struck their fancy. Diagon Alley provide them with various medical ingredients and potions, books, a new broom for Ginny and a toy one for Skye, numerous other standard wizard home items, and last but in no way least, a new wand for Skye. 

When they’d first entered Ollivander’s, it having been reopened by his daughter, Merion, she’d refused to sell a wand to someone so young. But after seeing what Skye could do with first Ginny’s and then Harry’s wands, she’d relented. 

After trying a variety of different wands with no success, Merion paused and muttering, “I wonder,” hurried out of sight. She returned a few minutes later with another wand box. “Dumbledore asked me to make this right after my father went missing. He said that one day a very special young lady would come along for it.” Opening the box, she held up the wand saying almost reverently, “Eleven inches - Teak wood - Supple - with a most unusual core of Phoenix feather, unicorn hair, and dragon heartstring combined. The only one of its kind in the world. Very difficult to make by the way. The feather is from his Phoenix, Fawkes; I think its name was. The dragon heartstring is from a very special Hungarian Horntail he said and the Unicorn hair came from the broken wand of a woman killed by Voldemort while protecting her baby.  Dumbledore never told me what her name was, though.”

Harry squeezed Ginny’s hand as he stared at the wand Merion was holding as the implications of what she was saying hit him. 

“Perhaps . . .” Merion said handing the wand to Skye.

As Skye’s small hand closed around the wand, a golden light washed over her while bright crimson stars shot from the wands end as a feeling of peace flowed over them all.

“Well I guess that settles that,” Merion said as she looked in awe at Skye.  

When Harry reached for his money pouch, she held up her hand and said, “There’s no charge. Dumbledore took care of everything when he asked me to make it.”

Thanking her, they left the store.

********** 


	17. Chapter 17: Home

  
Author's notes: This is the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it.  


* * *

Chapter Seventeen: Home

May 24, 2005

Ginny laughed with delight as she kicked off her sandals, wiggling her toes as she relished the feel of the soft grass and sandy soil between them. Looking over at Harry she smiled brightly before turning and running toward the clearing edge leading to the beach. As she ran her sundress fell away, leaving a colorful spot on the ground behind her. She stopped, turned and waved back at them before the forest enveloped her naked form, her laughter trailing behind. 

“Mummy, wait for me,” Skye shouted as she stood up from removing her trainers and socks before racing after her mother leaving a trail of clothes behind as the forest swallowed up her small, naked form too.

Harry was laughing as he turned to face Hermione and the twins. “I think she’s glad to be home don’t you?”

“You think? She didn’t even wait to put things away,” said Hermione with a wide grin on her face. Noticing the look on Harry’s face, Hermione held out her free arm, “Harry, give Sam to me and I’ll take care of things. Hurry and you might catch them before they reach the beach.”

Handing over his small son, Harry thanked her with his eyes before breaking into a run across the clearing as he too left a trail of clothing behind him as he disappeared into the forest.

**********

Feeling a tug on her leg, Hermione looked down to see the twins looking up at her, “Mummy, why did they take their cloths off?” Ginny asked. 

“Yeah, how come?” asked Freddy. 

Hermione sighed, she hadn’t thought about having to explain to her children why their aunt and uncle as well as their cousin were running around without clothes on.  Turning so that the bag she had hanging over her shoulder faced the twins, she asked, “Ginny, can you get a blanket out of my bag and spread it out so I can put the babies down please? Freddy, help her spread it out.”

As she watched the twins lay out the blanket, she thought of how to best answer their questions. Laying Robert and then Sam down on the blanket, she sat down and looked at her two oldest children.

Both twins looked at each other and then her, “Are they going to not wear clothes all the time?” asked Ginny.

“Ginny, this is their home. Whether they wear clothes or not is up to them and Freddy, I don’t want you staring at them or making rude remarks, we’re their guests now.” 

“I was just asking ‘cause if they aren’t going to wear clothes, do we have to?” Ginny asked.

“Yeah, it’s too hot to wear clothes,” remarked Freddy.

The twin’s remarks shocked Hermione. The fact that they were so willing to accept their aunt, uncle, and cousin’s lack of clothing surprised her. At home she knew that they’d both seen her and Ron in various stages of dress, but never naked, not since they were babies. She wondered at what other questions might come up. 

“Well, Mummy, do we have to wear clothes?” Ginny’s question brought Hermione back to the present. 

Unable to think of a reason why they should besides the old because I said so, Hermione said, “No, I guess you don’t have to.”

The words were hardly out of her mouth before the twin’s were up and tearing off their clothes. “Can we go play on the beach with Skye? Can we, Mummy?” they asked, their eager faces locked on her.

“I think we should give them some time alone right now. They’ve been away from their home for quite a while and probably want a little quiet time together, okay.”

At the crestfallen looks on the twins’ faces, Hermione pointed over at the stream and said, “You can play in the pool if you’d like so long as you stay in the shallow part until they get back.” 

She yelled, “STOP!” as the twins started to race toward the stream. Waving them back over she performed a quick spell to keep them from getting sunburned before watching their small white forms race away. 

**********

When Harry reached the beach the first thing he saw was Ginny, standing with her arms stretched out, eyes closed as she faced into the wind that was blowing her hair about her shoulders. Once again he was struck by just how beautiful she was. Even after having two children, her body was as firm as the first time he’d seen her. Yes, she had a few stretch marks here and there from when Skye was born but as far as he was concerned they just added to her beauty.  

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing you like that,” he said.

Hearing his voice, Ginny opened her eyes and with a laugh of delight, threw herself into his arms. “Oh, Sam. We’re home. We’re finally home.”

**********

While the twins played in the streams pool, Hermione let Hedwig out of her cage and then set about unpacking a few of the things Ginny and Harry had brought back with them. As she worked at setting up a brightly colored beach umbrella to shade the babies and some of the mahogany deck chairs she was surprised at how quickly she found herself drenched in sweat. 

Realizing that it was ridicules to try working in the noonday sun dressed as she was, Hermione found her bag and stepping into the nearby hut quickly stripped out of her hot clothes. Rummaging in her bag she found her bathing suits. She’d packed two: one a green and red one piece and a yellow and blue bikini.  Undecided, she stood looking at first one then the other.  She’d really hoped to have lost another pound or two before wearing the bikini but seeing how hot it was she dropped the one piece back into her bag and slipped into the bikini. At least she was lucky not to have any stretch marks, she thought. There were some advantages to living in a world with magic.

Outside once again, she checked on the two sleeping babies before walking over to join the twins. Easing into the pool she gave a sigh of contentment as the cool water closed around her. Her enjoyment was short lived as two waves of water hit her in the face. Sputtering she looked to where the twins were doubled over, laughing. “All right! That’s it!” Hermione cried as she started splashing the twins back. “You’ll get what’s coming to you now.” In no time the clearing rang with their laughter as they splashed and played together.

Little Ginny was the first to see Skye and her parents come out of the forest. “They’re back,” She called as she waded out of the pool and ran across the clearing, “They’re back!” 

Hermione left the pool and walked over to one of the deck chairs where she picked up a towel and started drying off as she watched Harry and Ginny coming toward her with Skye and Ginny talking excitedly behind them. England may have robbed them of their tanned bodies, but being back on the island was causing them both to radiate with happiness.

Once Ginny was close enough, she released Harry’s hand and her eyes shinning with joy, pulled Hermione into a bone crushing hug. “Thank you Hermione,” she whispered, “thank you for helping us come home.” 

“You don’t have to thank me Ginny,” Hermione murmured as she hugged Ginny back, “I was glad to help.” 

Breaking apart, Ginny looked at Hermione and asked, “Do you think we can do the Fidelius Charm now? Mum’s going to be so mad at us when she finds out we left without saying goodbye and I don’t want her sending anybody after us just yet.” 

“Can you blame her? Leaving a note isn’t the proper way to say goodbye, you know.” 

“I know, Hermione, but if we’d have told her we were leaving, she would have tried to talk us into staying longer, and then cried when we said no. After that she would have got everyone together to see us off hoping that we’d change our minds. I couldn’t go through that. I was going crazy there. It’s not like I don’t love my family, but I missed…no I needed the quiet and peacefulness here. I needed to come home.” 

Hermione reached out and gave Ginny’s hand a squeeze, “I know. I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did. I’m just glad you stayed long enough so that our babies could be born together.”  Tearing her eyes away form Ginny’s, Hermione looked at Harry, “Now Harry, if you’d just bring my trunk over here we’ll see about making me your Secrets Keeper.” 

********** 

Hermione smiled as she watched the twins and Skye playing in the surf. She’d only been on the island, now officially named ‘Home’ during the Fidelius ceremony, for three days and already she was dreading the thought of leaving. Turning on her side she looked to where Ginny lay on the deck chair beside her, “I can see why you wanted to come back so badly. It’s so quiet and peaceful here. I love the sun and the wind blows just enough to keep you cool. It’s brilliant.” 

“If you want to get the full effects of the wind you need to loose the bikini. I love the way the wind feels flowing over my body.” Ginny replied. 

"Ginny! I can’t do that,” Hermione said, her face alight with shock. “There’s no way I could run around in front of Harry naked, no way.” 

“You see him naked all the time. Tell me that you really notice it now. I don’t think you have to worry about him leering, drooling, or making rude remarks, do you?” 

Hermione face was red with embarrassment when Ginny finished. Looking at her best friend and sister she said some what hesitantly, “No . . . I don’t notice Harry . . . it just seems . . . natural . . . I guess I want to say, but Ginny; I’ve never been naked in front of anyone but Ron. It just seems weird to think about being that way in front of Harry. Do you really want me around Harry like that? It wouldn’t bother you?” 

“Get real, Hermione. It’s not like you’re going to try and shag him or something.”  

“Ginny!” 

“Well you’re not, are you?” 

At the look on Hermione’s totally red face, Ginny burst out laughing, “You –should –see the look –on your—face,” she managed to stammer out. 

“It’s not funny, Ginny. I’m trying to be serious.” 

Swinging her legs off the deck chair so she could face Hermione Ginny said, “Fine. Let’s get serious. I’m naked, Harry’s naked, our kids are naked, and the only one who isn’t is you. You’re the only one who seems to have a hang-up about it so get over it and loose the bikini. Your always tugging and pulling on it like you wish you could just get rid of it anyway so just take it off and be done with it. If you’re worried about Harry seeing you, then don’t be. He won’t be coming to the beach today. I told him to stay away so I could try to get you to just try it. It’s just you, me, and the kids and I promise I won’t drool over you.”  

Getting up, Ginny flung her arms out, leaned her head back and closed her eyes, “If you think the wind feels good now just wait till you feel it all over your body.” Opening her eyes, she said, “I’m going to go play with the kids. Feel free to join us.” 

Hermione watched in stunned surprise as Ginny ran over to where the children were playing in the surf where she immediately started splashing them. In no time they were engaged in a noisy water fight broken by loud peals of laughter as they splashed each other.  

As Hermione sat there thinking about what Ginny had said she caught herself unconsciously pulling on her bikini top where it was digging into the skin under her breasts. Dropping her hands quickly, she looked to see if Ginny had caught her. Seeing that they were still wrapped up in their water fight, she relaxed. As she continued to watch them she had to admit that they did look more comfortable than she was at the moment but she couldn’t take off her bikini and go naked like they were could she. . .  

Catching herself pulling on her top again, Hermione though to herself, _my top, I’ll just take of my top. I can do that . . . cant’ I?_  Bracing herself, Hermione reach around and unfastened her top and before she could talk herself out of it quickly removed it and threw it over on the deck chair Ginny had been laying on at the same time she unconsciously crossed her arms over her now exposed breasts.  

Realizing what she’d done, she looked quickly at the playing group to see if they’d seen her but their backs were all to her as they splashed away. Relaxing, she slowly dropped her arms away from her chest and placed them onto the chair’s armrests as she leaned back into the chair. _This isn’t so bad,_ she thought. _Ginny’s right, the wind does feel nicer like this._ Letting out a small sigh of contentment, Hermione relaxed completely into the chair as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the wind flowing over her bare skin. 

“Well it’s a start I guess.” 

Hermione’s eyes sprang open as her arms flew up to cover her breasts, her face breaking out in a blush of embarrassment at the amused look on Ginny’s face as she sat on the deck chair next to her. Hermione’s face turned even redder as she stammered out, “My top . . . digging in to my skin . . . uncomfortable . . .,” 

She stopped as Ginny grinned brightly at her and said, “You don’t have to make excuses. I saw the look on your face when you thought you were alone. Admit it Hermione, I’m right.  You’re more comfortable and the wind feels brilliant, doesn’t it? So why don’t you quite being such a prude and loose the bottoms too?” 

Being hurt by Ginny’s comments, Hermione jumped out of her chair, “Okay fine!” she yelled and before she knew what she was doing she hooked her thumbs into the top of her bikini bottoms and with a quick downward thrust pulled them off and threw them at Ginny. “There are you happy now?” she said loudly, “and I am not a prude!” she finished as her hands went up to rest on her hips as she glared down at Ginny. 

“All right!” Ginny cried leaning away from Hermione, “Don’t go getting your knickers in a twist . . . Oops! . . . You don’t have any now do you?” she said grinning mischievously up at Hermione. 

Hermione immediately looked down at her body. Raising her dazed face back up to look at Ginny she said in a soft stunned voice. “I don’t, do I” 

As their eyes locked on each other, there was a moment of silence before they both broke out in uncontrolled laughter that soon had Hermione falling back onto her deck chair as she hugged her aching sides. 

They were helping the kids make sand castles sometime later when Skye looked up and with a cry of happiness yelled out, “Daddy,” as she got up and ran toward the forest. 

Hermione’s eyes quickly followed the little girls fleeing form and she gave a loud gasp as she saw Harry coming toward them. Turning to Ginny she said in a panicked voice, “You said you told Harry to stay away!” 

With a smug look, Ginny replied, “I lied.” 

**********  

Hermione was standing on the beach looking out over the ocean as she watched the sun rise. She couldn’t believe that she and the children were leaving. The two weeks had flown by to fast she thought but Ron was due back from his business trip tomorrow and they needed to be there to meet him. As the wind picked up she closed her eyes and held her arms out away from her now richly tanned body as she enjoyed the feel of the wind against it.

“Ginny does that too. She says she loves feeling the wind flowing over her.” said Harry’s soft voice beside her. 

Opening her eyes, Hermione turned her head and smiled at him, “I know and she’s right, the wind does feel good.”  

Smiling back at her, Harry said, “Ginny sent me to tell you breakfast is ready.” 

Sighing, Hermione lowered her arms and turned to head back to the clearing. As she walked beside Harry she said longingly, “I envy you and Ginny living here like this. We haven’t even left yet and already I’m thinking about how soon we can come back.” 

“You’re welcome here anytime, Hermione. In fact you and Ron could come and live here if you want.” 

Hermione smile sadly up at him, “Thank you Harry, but Ron wouldn’t be happy here for long. He loves managing the shop in Hogsmeade and showing off our newest inventions to the Hogwarts students when they come in. He likes being around people.” 

“I’ll admit I was a little surprised at finding you and Ron working for George. Ron and I always talked about becoming Aurors after we got out of school. We always thought of you working at some important job in the Ministry of Magic.” 

“I know. But after that last battle, when we lost Charlie and Fred and thought you and Ginny were lost too, it made Ron and I realize how important our time together was. The idea of chasing after bad wizards or working at the Ministry just weren’t important anymore. George’s breakdown gave us a chance to be together when we took over running the shop for him and after Luna pulled him back together, Ron and I talked him into opening the shop in Hogsmeade so we could stay together. I can honestly say we’ve been happy every since.” 

“I’m glad for both of you. Just remember, the offer is always there if you want it.” 

“Thank you, Harry,” Hermione replied as she reached out and held his hand. They walked the rest of the way back in silence each lost in their own thoughts. 

********** 

“Ginevra Charlie and Fredrick Harry Weasley! I’m telling you for the last time, get dressed! We’re leaving in five minutes now hurry up!” Hermione said sharply. Turning to face a grinning Ginny, she continued, “Just look what you’ve done to my children. Turned them into a couple of naked little savages, you have.” 

Ginny grinned even more as she said, “Well maybe they’d listen if they saw you dressed and ready to go.” 

“Ginny, I was just making sure we had everything gathered up first.” 

“Uh huh, sure you were.” 

Hermione’s shoulders slumped as she looked at Ginny, “Okay, you’re right. I don’t want to get dressed either. Just the thought of putting something on is making me itch.” 

The mood was sad when later, the twins and Hermione dressed and ready, it was time for them to leave. After everyone had exchanged hugs, Hermione reluctantly pulled out the Portkey that would take her and her children home.  

Just before she activated it she heard Ginny shout out, “Tell Mum we’ll be back for Harry’s birthday.” 

********** 


End file.
